mnmni 


\ 


V 


THE   UNEXPLORED 
SELF 


AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  CHRISTIAN  DOCTRINE  FOR 
TEACHERS  AND  STUDENTS 


BY 


GEORGE  R.  MONTGOMERY,  Ph.D. 

Assistant  Minister  at  the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church 
New  York  City 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

Gbe    *fcnfcfterbocfter   press 

1910 


Ml, 


Copyright,  1910 

BY 

GEORGE  R.  MONTGOMERY 


w  :  . 


Zbe  "RttiCBerbocftcr  prces,  flew  Hot* 


PREFACE 

AMONG  the  prospective  teachers  who  came 
under  my  instruction  at  Yale  University 
and  at  Carleton  College,  I  discovered  a  sense  of 
unpreparedness  for  the  definitely  religious  in- 
fluence which  a  schoolroom  must  have,  even 
though  no  religion  is  taught.  Furthermore,  stu- 
dents with  whom  I  have  talked  seem  to  have 
perplexingly  wrong  ideas  as  to  the  content  of 
Christianity.  It  is  the  teachers  and  students 
that  have  been  primarily  in  mind  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  Introduction  to  Christian  Doctrine. 

The  beginnings  of  this  volume,  however,  go 
back  a  long  way.  After  graduation,  I  set  out 
indefinitely  to  follow  up  my  statement  in  the 
class  book  as  to  my  object  in  life,  viz.,  to  discover 
as  far  as  possible  the  purpose  in  existence,  and  so 
far  as  that  purpose  was  found,  to  carry  out  my 
share  in  it.  After  drifting  here  and  there  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  take  a  long  journey  on  horse- 
back with  another  newspaper  correspondent,  who 
was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  philosophies  and 
had  every  idea  labelled  by  a  school  and  a  sub- 
school.  Our  journey  took  us  through  wild  coun- 
try where  we  had  practically  no  diversion  but  to 


30406.' 


IV 


Preface 


talk.  A  horseback  journey  with  a  small  caravan 
is,  in  this  respect,  different  from  any  other  kind 
of  a  trip;  there  is  no  haste,  no  sight-seeing,  no 
reading,  and  the  travellers  have  plenty  of  breath 
to  converse  and  plenty  of  time  to  think. 

Every  few  days  we  would  come  to  some  centre 
where  American  missionaries  were  stationed  and 
the  contrast  between  the  atmosphere  around 
them  and  elsewhere  was  marked.  It  happened 
that  at  one  place  we  were  invited  in  to  "family 
prayers"  and  the  story  of  Paul's  conversion  on 
his  way  to  Damascus  was  read.  This  incident, 
of  course,  may  have  had  its  part  in  the  result. 

Along  the  way  we  discussed  every  conceivable 
subject,  although  the  problems  of  philosophy  were 
especially  congenial  to  us.  At  the  beginning  we 
were  both  agnostics;  I  had,  however,  without 
knowing  why,  pretty  well  made  up  my  mind  that 
there  must  be  a  value  in  existence  and  the  fact 
that  the  missionaries  were  doing  something,  while 
we  were  only  talking  about  it,  impressed  me.  I 
found  that  from  the  foundation  of  a  meaning  in 
things,  without  any  of  my  friend's  erudition  or  his 
skill  in  analysis,  I  was  yet  able  to  hold  my  own 
and  to  build  up  a  more  satisfactory  system  than 
he  could.  At  the  end  of  the  two  months  my 
mind  was  made  up  to  accept  the  propaganda  of 
that  bash  as  my  life  work  and  this  volume  is  a 
part  of  that  development  and  propaganda. 

I  regret  the  savor  of  sensationalism  in  the 
title,  but  it  about  expresses  my  intention.     The 


Preface  v 

word  self  is  freer  from  limiting  connotations  than 
would  be  the  words  mind,  ego,  or  soul.  The 
exploration  of  the  mind  has  been  relegated  to 
psychology;  the  very  existence  of  the  soul  or  of 
the  ego  has  been  disputed;  every  one,  however, 
is  interested  in  the  self  and  no  one  can  deny  its 
reality.  Yet  even  with  so  uncontroversial  a  word, 
I  find  myself  using  it  in  three  different  senses: 
first,  the  self  in  its  large  sense,  including  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  interests;  second,  the  central 
self,  or,  if  you  will,  the  very  self  of  very  self,  the 
nucleus  of  the  new  self;  third,  in  contrast  with 
the  new  self,  the  older  interests  or  the  old  self. 

I  am  indebted  to  Rev.  John  De  Peu  of  Bridge- 
port, Conn.,  and  to  Prof.  H.  H.  Tweedy  of  Yale 
University,  who  read  the  manuscript  and  made 
valuable  suggestions. 

G.  R.  M. 

New  York  City, 
May  15,  1910. 

Note. — In  the  following  pages  I  have  endeavored  to 
avoid  polemics  and  to  direct  the  attention  to  the  essentials. 
A  little  volume,  however,  which  has  just  come  to  hand  has 
suggested  a  few  words  in  explanation  of  my  attitude  toward 
controversial  subjects.  The  book  is  entitled,  The  Funda- 
mentals, and  the  preface  says  that  a  copy  has  been  "sent  to 
every  pastor,  evangelist,  missionary,  theological  professor, 
theological  student,  Sunday  school  superintendent,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  secretary  in  the  English-speaking  world." 

The  first  chapter  is  a  defence  of  and  an  insistence  upon  the 
doctrine  of  the  Virgin  Birth.  If  the  enormous  distribution 
of  the  book  extends  the  idea  that  belief  in  the  Virgin  Birth 
is  a  primary  tenet  of  Christian  Doctrine,  the  result  will  be 
unfortunate.  Discussion  of  the  Virgin  Birth  is  a  matter  for 
those  who  have  advanced  far  in  Christian  thought.     If  put 


vi  Preface 

foremost  it  entails  so  many  other  questions  that  the  inquirer 
will  likely  never  reach  the  true  gospel  as  presented  by  Christ 
and  the  apostles. 

The  entire  volume  of  which  I  am  speaking  is  conceived  in  a 
combative  mood  and  instead  of  making  clearer  the  funda- 
mentals will  tend  to  provoke  debate  among  those  who 
already  accept  Christianity. 

The  second  chapter,  for  instance,  is  entitled:  "The  Deity 
of  Christ."  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  accept  the  phrase 
provided  the  New  Testament  idea  of  Christ's  personality  be 
retained,  but,  in  general,  any  distinction  between  divinity 
and  deity  belongs  to  an  advanced  understanding  of  theo- 
logy and  is  out  of  place  at  the  very  beginning. 

The  chapter  on  "Higher  Criticism,"  likewise,  affirms 
that  as  a  pre-requisite  to  Christian  faith  must  come  the 
acceptance  of  the  Mosaic  authorship  of  the  Pentateuch. 
Such  assertions  divert  the  discussion  from  the  fundamentals 
to  the  disputes.  The  triviality  of  this  particular  dispute 
appears  when  we  imagine  some  one  coming  forward  with  a 
theory  of  Samuel's  having  written  the  two  books  that  go  by 
his  name.  Samuel  dies  quite  some  time  before  the  close  of 
the  first  book  and  it  would  be  absurd  to  insist  that  quotation 
from  either  of  the  books  by  name  would  determine  authorship. 

It  is  the  radical  and  militant  spirit  of  the  entire  volume 
that  is  deplorable,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  know  that  more  and 
more  the  spiritualism  and  conservatism  of  the  Pauline  and 
Johannine  theology  are  prevailing  over  the  crass  materialism 
of  the  metaphysicians. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

I.  The  Worth  of  a  Man  . 

II.  The  Divinity  of  Christ 

III.  The  Witness  to  God     . 

IV.  The  Mystery  Made  Manifest 
V.  Incarnation 

VI.  The  Divine  Incarnation 

VII.  The  Living  Christ 

VIII.  Self-Giving 

IX.  Kinship  and  the  Cross 

X.    The  First    and  Great  Command 
ment  .... 

XI.    Under  Authority 

XII.    The  Communion  of  the  Holy 
Spirit         .... 

XIII.  The  Atrophy  of  Death 

XIV.  The  Armor  of  Light     . 


i 
13 
23 
35 
47 
56 
66 

77 
86 

95 
108 

119 

130 
142 


viii  Contents 

CHAPTER 

XV.  The  Lifted  Dome 

XVI.  Doubt  a  Shrinking  Back 

XVII.  Faith  an  Apprizal 

XVIII.  The  Treasure  and  the  Self 

XIX.     Religion  the  Grading  of  Things 
Precious  .... 

XX.     The  Reborn  Self 

XXI.    Confidence  in  the  Ideal 

XXII.    The  Place  of  the  Church     . 

XXIII.     The    Men    and    Women    of    To 
morrow     .... 


155 
166 
176 

187 

197 

208 
219 
227 

238 


The  Unexplored  Self 


The    Unexplored    Self 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  WORTH  OF  A  MAN 


TO  the  worth  of  real  estate  and  mines,  of  stocks 
and  bonds,  tons  of  printed  matter  are  de- 
voted daily.  The  value  of  corn  and  meat  is 
quoted  even  far  into  the  coming  months.  A  man 
may  know  the  worth  at  any  given  moment  of  his 
cattle  pen,  his  pigs,  and  his  poultry. 

But  where  shall  he  look  to  know  his  own  value? 

When  slaves  were  bought  and  sold,  the  worth  of 
some  men  was  definitely  fixed.  Dealers  figured 
the  heredity,  age,  health,  intelligence,  and  charac- 
ter. There  are,  however,  no  available  slave- 
market  quotations  now. 

Political  economy  has  made  an  effort  to  affix  a 
valuation  to  man.  Its  quotations  are  in  terms 
of  exchange,  of  hours  work,  of  money,  and  such 


2  The  Unexplored  Self 

it" •:*»/:•  *   :   ■  '  : 

like.  The  results  are  something  like  balancing  a 
rainbow  against  a  load  of  hay. 

When  a  man  has  been  killed  in  an  accident,  a 
jury  is  sometimes  called  upon  to  tell  the  loss. 
Five  thousand  dollars  has  been  the  agreed  maxi- 
mum. In  some  places,  where  salary  and  age  are 
reckoned,  the  loss  of  one  man  has  been  put  as 
high  as  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

Lineage  and  wealth  give  the  scale  in  the  opinion 
of  many.  In  the  opinion  of  others  a  man's 
efficiency  measures  his  value.  "He  gets  results, 
he  is  a  valuable  man,"  is  the  commendation. 

There  are  various  opinions  upon  this  intensely 
practical  subject — opinions  differing  as  widely  as 
the  east  from  the  west,  and  as  the  north  from  the 
south.  We  may  group  them  therefore  about 
four  cardinal  points  of  view. 


There  is,  first,  the  popular  estimate,  the  day- 
to-day  view,  that  a  few  men  are  worth  a  great 
deal  while  most  men  are  worth  little  or  nothing. 
Usually  the  person  making  the  estimate  puts 
himself  in  the  minority  list. 

That  there  are  immense  differences  in  the  worth 
of  men  appears  on  the  face  of  it.  One  football 
player  may  be  worth  a  whole  team.  One  finan- 
cier may  be  worth  an  entire  directorate.  One 
statesman  may  be  worth  a  national  party. 

An  ancient  Hebrew  chieftain  was  told :  Thou  art 


The  Worth  of  a  Man  3 

worth  ten  thousand  of  us.  The  statement  is  sur- 
prising, not  so  much  because  of  the  assertion,  but 
because  the  fact  was  clearly  recognized  and  clearly- 
stated  so  long  ago.  There  is  also  room  for  sur- 
prise that  one  of  the  ten  thousand  saw  the  dis- 
parity of  values.  I  am  worth  ten  thousand  of 
you,  is  the  customary  way  of  thinking  or  at  least 
of  acting  about  the  matter. 

The  temptation  easily  comes  to  the  literary 
man,  for  instance,  to  regard  his  crafts-fellows  as 
the  elect  and  to  lump  the  rest  of  humanity  to- 
gether as  the  Philistines.  There  may  be  on  the 
one  hand  "our  set,"  and,  in  contrast  with  our  set, 
the  negligibles. 

This  view  was  crystallized  for  the  Greeks  by 
the  phrase,  hoi  pollot,  the  many.  The  fling  of  the 
phrase  has  been  made  still  more  stinging,  since 
Nietzsche  developed  it  into  "the  far  too  many," 
Die  viel  zu  viete.  With  this  slur  does  he  always 
refer  to  the  masses. 

The  far  too  many — it  is  not'  difficult  to  appreci- 
ate the  phrase  and  almost  approve  of  it.  When 
we  think  of  the  meaningless  hordes  who  swarm 
the  streets  and  pack  the  lodging-houses,  men  and 
women  seem  unnecessarily  numerous. 

America  would  be  practically  as  prosperous  if 
Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa  were  wiped  from  the 
map.  We  would  as  a  nation  grieve  if  the  people 
of  South  America,  Mexico,  and  Canada  were  sud- 
denly   submerged,    for    we    are   a    sympathetic 


4  The  Unexplored  Self 

nation,  but  our  life  would  go  on  practically 
undisturbed.  Human  beings  appear  superflu- 
ously many. 

The  more  one  considers  the  teeming  millions 
in  the  backward  and  over-populated  countries, 
the  more  he  is  tempted  to  say  that  by  far  the 
larger  per  cent,  of  earth's  humanity  could  be 
dispensed  with.  Men  have  multiplied  far  beyond 
their  best  good. 

This  is  apt  to  be  the  verdict  of  geniuses  like 
Goethe,  who  believed  that  only  a  favored  few 
achieve  immortality,  while  the  great  mass  of  men 
become  extinct  at  death. 

The  same  verdict  is  easily  adopted  by  the 
millionaire,  by  the  society  leader,  by  the  heredi- 
tary nobleman,  yes,  by  the  clerk  in  the  office  or 
store,  and  by  the  day-laborer. 

The  working  belief,  perhaps  not  expressly 
formulated,  is  that  there  are  a  few  who  are  worth 
a  great  deal,  while  the  run  of  men  are  worth 
practically  nothing. 

By  some  representatives  of  Christianity,  also, 
this  verdict  has  been  shared.  The  elect,  the  few, 
are  loved  of  God.  The  wicked,  that  is  the 
great  majority,  are  in  God's  sight  nothing 
or  worse  than  nothing,  perhaps  a  good  deal 
worse. 

It  is  like  the  uptown  and  downtown  trains. 
Those    who    ride    to    destruction    must    expect 


The  Worth  of  a  Man  5 

crowding  and  strap-hanging.     He  who  is  riding 
to  salvation  has  a  whole  car  to  himself. 


We  have  spoken  of  four  cardinal  views  and  car- 
rying out  our  simile  the  next  quadrant  on  our 
binnacle  card  gives  the  theory  that  the  worth  of 
every  man,  without  exception,  is  so  small  that  it 
can  be  said  there  is  no  value ;  there  is  no  intrinsic 
worth  in  men. 

Those  who  take  this  view  dwell  on  the  short- 
ness of  life  compared  with  eternity.  Man  is  the 
creature  of  a  day.  He  is  one  of  the  ephemera — 
an  insect  that  buzzes  for  a  summer  afternoon. 

This  conclusion  dwells  on  the  littleness  of 
man  in  comparison  with  infinite  space.  Compared 
with  the  universe  man  is  a  speck,  a  million  times 
more  microscopic  than  the  animalcules  which  are 
breathed  in  the  air. 

This  opinion  dwells  on  the  fact  of  death  with 
no  return  of  news  from  beyond. 

The  view  is  eagerly  grasped  by  the  pleasure 
loving  for  whom  the  philosophy  of  indifference 
thus  easily  becomes  a  fad.  It  is  in  the  line  of  the 
least  resistance. 

Man  is  made  of  clay  like  the  potter's  vessel  and 
when  broken  he  returns  to  clay.  Death  is  dis- 
solution of  soul  as  well  as  of  body.  Eat,  drink, 
and  be  merry,  for  to-morrow  we  die. 


6  The  Unexplored  Self 

We  are  not  called  upon  here  to  discuss  this 
view,  nor  to  criticise  it  as  dulling  and  degrad- 
ing. Our  purpose  is  merely  to  mention  it  as 
an  estimate  of  worth  that  has  found  favor  in 
certain  circles. 


Another  quadrant  brings  the  third  view,  which 
emphasizes  the  equality  of  men  in  value.  In  this 
respect  it  is  the  opposite  of  the  first. 

The  American  Declaration  of  Independence 
stated  that  all  men  are  born  equal.  Perhaps  the 
equality  which  the  fathers  of  the  country  had  in 
mind  was  rather  political  than  valuational,  yet 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  words  of  the  Declaration 
have  done  much  to  spread  the  idea  that  all  men 
are  actually  equal — that  the  accomplishments  or 
attainments  of  so-called  great  men  do  not  enhance 
their  actual  valuation — that  human  beings  are 
in  the  final  analysis  all  in  one  plane  and  of  equal 
significance. 

The  standpoint  is  theoretical  rather  than  practi- 
cal. It  cannot  be  carried  out  in  its  application. 
Nevertheless  it  has  vogue  as  a  theory  and  as  a 
step  in  the  right  direction  it  has  done  much  good. 
It  has  been  helpful  in  warring  with  slavery  and  in 
opposing  the  tyranny  of  birth. 

Many  have  thought  that  Christ's  emphasis 
on  the  worth  of  the  human  soul  sanctioned  the 


The  Worth  of  a  Man  7 

opinion  that  all  Christians,  at  least,  are  intrin- 
sically the  same  before  God. 

This  third  view  will  not  stand  any  test.  Men 
are  not  born  equal  and  rather  than  the  years 
bringing  equality,  men  as  they  age  diverge  more 
and  more.  Likewise  the  direction  of  social  life 
is  not  toward  equality  but  toward  greater  in- 
equality. The  divergence  increases  with  in- 
creased social  life,  just  as  two  hod-carriers  are 
more  alike  than  the  same  two  men  should  they 
become  masons. 

Measured  by  every  reliable  standard  men  are 
not  equal  and  an  actual  belief  that  they  are  in- 
evitably so  will  cut  off  progress  and  advance.  If 
my  exertions  and  attainments  do  not  enhance  my 
value  or  my  neighbor's  value,  there  is  little  motive 
for  endeavor  and  accomplishment. 

I  am  as  good  as  you  are,  may  be  an  overwhelm- 
ing argument  in  a  pinch,  it  is  hardly  justified  if 
indiscriminately  proclaimed. 

There  must  be  misunderstanding  somewhere 
if  no  difference  is  to  be  allowed  between  the  loafer 
and  the  worker,  the  parasite  and  the  citizen,  the 
destroyer  and  the  builder. 


The  fourth  quadrant  brings  in  turn  the  belief 
which  may  be  distinguished  as  the  Christian  view, 
viz.,  that  all  men  are  worth  a  great,  great  deal — 


8  The  Unexplored  Self 

are  of  great,  great  value,  and  that  they  yet  have 
also  unlimited  possibility  of  growth  in  value.  It  is 
a  return  toward  the  first,  the  day-to-day  position, 
but  on  a  much  higher  plane — even  the  latent 
misanthropy  is  eliminated. 

Christ's  teaching  was  that  all  men  are  the  chil- 
dren of  God.  He  believed  in  the  divinity  of  man 
as  man,  a  veritable  sonship,  a  real  divinity. 

It  was  and  is  a  bold  position  and  one  hard  to 
establish.  Every  one  must  be  at  times  over- 
whelmed with  its  difficulties. 

Taken  sincerely  it  means  so  much!  All  the 
glory  which  has  clustered  about  the  head  of  Christ 
is  to  be  retained  and  then  man  received  as  his 
actual  brother.  There  is  no  cause  for  wonder 
that  when  its  teaching  is  understood  and  accepted, 
Christianity  works  a  revolution. 

No  wonder  is  it  also  that  the  teaching  is  so 
difficult.  It  is  much  easier  apparently  to  feel 
contempt  for  men. 

There  are  many  witty  sayings  of  the  type  of: 
"The  better  I  know  men  the  better  I  like  dogs." 
Ordinary  men — ordinary  men  are  weak.  They 
do  wrong  naturally.  They  are  like  stupid  sheep. 
They  are  of  the  earth  earthy.  They  are  mean 
and  petty,  lazy  and  revengeful.  Sometimes  it 
seems  as  though  we  must  go  against  all  the  evi- 
dence when  we  speak  of  the  nobility  of  the 
ordinary  man. 

In  the  opinion  of  many  it  shows  the  stamp  of 


The  Worth  of  a  Man  9 

sagacity  to  sneer  at  his  pretentiousness.  "What 
is  man,  that  any  one  is  mindful  of  him?"  they 
ask. 

Perhaps  an  overman  may  in  time  be  evolved 
who  will  amount  to  something;  but  the  genus 
homo  of  the  Quaternary  age  is  altogether  impo- 
tent and  despicable. 

Perhaps  Society  as  an  organism  may  be  of 
value,  but  the  individuals  are  as  unimportant  and 
replaceable  as  the  tissue  cells  which  constitute 
a  body. 

It  is  in  protest  against  this  superficial  and 
cynical  standpoint  that  Christianity  raises  the 
standard.  Over  against  the  logic  of  materialism 
it  opposes  the  equally  logical  position  of  idealism. 
Against  the  chains  of  mechanicalism,  it  sets  the 
actualities  of  spirit  and  achievement.  Against 
the  immensities  of  stellar  space,  it  sets  the  mind 
which  is  able  to  overleap  and  investigate  that 
space. 

Against  man's  greed  and  selfishness  it  sets  up 
the  example  of  unselfishness.  Against  man's 
weakness  it  sets  the  strength  of  Christ,  whose 
purpose  mountains  heaped  upon  him  could  not 
have  broken.  Against  the  fact  of  death  it  urges 
such  a  view  of  life  that  death  will  be  regarded 
merely  as  an  incident  and  not  the  end.  Against 
the  absence  of  proven  value  it  appeals  to  the 
actual  experience  of  value  and  worth  which  every 
one,  even  the  victim  of  melancholia,  has. 


io  The  Unexplored  Self 

6 

The  fight  is  on,  and  a  very  vigorous  one  it  is. 
The  Christian  position  is  opposed,  and  bitterly 
opposed.  Self-centredness  cannot  easily  be  over- 
thrown. 

The  creed  of  Christianity  calls  for  an  inversion 
of  all  material  values.  Aside  from  its  theoretical 
difficulties,  it  also  calls  for  an  abandonment  of 
prejudice,  of  exclusiveness,  of  narrowness,  of 
selfishness,  of  carelessness.  It  cannot  be  estab- 
lished without  a  struggle. 

The  reality  and  importance  of  this  fourth  view, 
the  divinity  of  man,  is  only  just  emerging  into 
sight. 

The  idea  has  to  battle  against  the  physicalism 
which  centuries  of  material  struggle  have  woven 
into  our  thought.  It  has  to  contend  with  animal- 
ism and  egoism — against  cliques  and  classes. 

To  establish  the  belief  is  not  within  the  power 
of  any  syllogism  or  argumentation.  It  must  be 
separately  established  by  each  one  for  himself  alone 
and  by  himself  alone.  No  outsider  can  establish 
it  so  as  to  make  it  a  reality. 

Our  purpose  here  is  not  so  much  to  prove  the 
truth  of  this  fourth  view,  as  to  call  attention  to  it, 
to  show  its  incomparable  significance,  to  indicate 
its  approaches  and  deductions,  in  the  hope  that 
each  one  may  work  out  and  appreciate  it  for 
himself. 


The  Worth  of  a  Man  1 1 


These  are  the  four  cardinal  views:  first,  a  few 
worth  much,  the  rest  nothing;  second,  all  nothing; 
third,  all  equal;  fourth,  all  worth  a  great,  great 
deal  with  possibilities  of  immense  improvement. 

Society  now  rests  on  the  first  world-view  as  a 
basis.  Fortunately  under  this  day-to-day  view,  al- 
though the  unregarded  are  disregarded,  each  little 
circle  behaves  as  if  its  members  were  to  be  con- 
sidered highly  and  the  sum-total  of  public  opinion 
comes  about  that  things  are  worth  doing  and 
worth  doing  well.  Life  zigzags  along  through 
the  activity  of  each  circle  as  though  man  in 
general  had  some  value. 

As  soon,  however,  as  the  appeal  is  to  make  those 
in  one  circle  or  coterie  put  a  high  estimate  on  those 
outside,  and  as  soon  as  the  basis  of  allowing  even 
each  coterie  a  value  is  challenged,  the  importance 
and  the  difficulty  also  of  the  fourth  view  appear. 

About  this  point  will  centre  the  controversies 
of  the  immediate  future.  Is  it  true  that  a  human 
being  is  of  supreme  value?  There  are  many 
evidences  that  the  opposite  theory  which  decries 
the  value  of  the  individual  man  has  been  gaining 
ground  among  scientists  and  philosophers. 

The  fourth  view,  based  on  man's  relation  to 
God,  is  the  distinct  contribution  of  Christianity 
to  the  thought  of  society.  Of  all  gifts  it  is  the 
most  important. 


12  The  Unexplored  Self 

No  system  of  philosophy,  no  school  of  science 
has  ever  brought  forward  a  contribution  to  com- 
pare with  it.  It  is  the  idea  for  which  mankind 
has  been  waiting.  It  sums  up  the  desires  of  all 
peoples.  It  expresses  the  deepest  and  most  pas- 
sionate yearning  of  the  heart.  It  establishes  a 
stable  foundation  for  the  theory  of  universal 
brotherhood.  It  provides  a  sanction  for  the  word 
"  ought."  It  gives  a  logical  substructure  for  the 
sentiments  of  sympathy  and  love. 

This  is  the  tonic  of  which  society  stands  in 
need.  This  is  the  faith  to  quicken  church  and 
religion.  This  is  the  sedative  for  wars.  It  is 
the  incentive  for  philanthropic  labor  and  human- 
itarian effort. 

Children  of  God  is  the  expression  used  by  the 
apostles.  The  expression  may  be  accepted  or 
not,  the  import,  at  least,  can  be  seen;  it  can  be 
seen  how  world  transforming  the  words  may  be. 

If  they  have  no  justification  all  other  words 
become  a  babbling  of  tongues.  If  they  have  no 
meaning  the  entire  value  of  life  is  undermined. 
If  they  become  true  to  a  man,  he  is  born  again — 
he  becomes  an  heir  of  God  and  a  joint  heir  with 
Christ.  His  life  amounts  to  something.  His 
deeds  have  a  meaning.  His  hopes  are  justified. 
His  yearnings  are  valid. 

The  child  of  God,  then,  is  the  Christian  phrase 
for  approaching  and  stating  this  fourth  view.  It 
hinges  on  the  divinity  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST 


THE  questioning  spirit,  which  holds  so  high  a 
place  in  modern  pedagogies,  often  overlooks 
the  part  that  wisdom  must  play  in  the  selection 
of  questions.  A  sage  spends  as  much  time  in  fix- 
ing his  inquiries  as  he  does  in  finding  his  answers. 

This  is  a  hard  point  for  the  Spirit  of  Interroga- 
tion as  it  bustles  about  to  grasp.  A  crude  thinker 
says:  "Here's  a  problem;  up  and  at  it."  And 
the  frenetic  manner  in  which  people  run  down 
answers  to  propounded  problems  verges  on  the 
ridiculous. 

All  are  supposed  to  know  that  a  fool  can  make 
inquiries  which  a  wise  man  cannot  answer,  but 
there  are  many  under  the  delusion  that  it  is  as 
important  to  answer  a  fool  question  as  a  wise  one. 

One  of  the  greatest  causes  for  irreligion  is  that 
people  are  not  as  careful  in  their  search  for  ques- 
tions as  they  are  in  their  search  for  answers. 

Two  boys  may  be  given  a  problem,  one  of  those 
13 


14  The  Unexplored  Self 

intricate  ones  concerning  the  tank  of  water  with 
pipes  running  out.  One  boy  may  have  half  a  dozen 
solutions,  while  the  other  has  only  just  decided 
what  he  is  looking  for,  what  x,  the  unknown 
quantity,  is  to  represent — and  the  second  boy 
may  quite  likely  be  further  along  than  the  first. 
Christianity  has  suffered  because  men  have 
agitated  the  unessentials  and  have  not  understood 
its  real  problem. 


An  epitome  of  religious  catechetics  is  found  in 
the  ninth  chapter  of  John's  Gospel,  where  many, 
many  questions  are  asked  of  and  regarding  a 
certain  blind  man  who,  the  narrative  tells  us, 
was  cured  of  his  blindness.  These  questions  indi- 
cate great  interest  and  reveal  a  twentieth- century 
culture.  They  were  asked  by  Christ's  disciples, 
by  the  neighbors  of  the  blind  man,  by  the  multi- 
tudes who  thronged  about,  by  the  Pharisees,  by 
the  man  himself. 

In  contrast  with  such  questions  there  is  one  put 
by  Christ  to  this  same  man  after  the  final  excom- 
munication, a  question  which  is  the  whole  cate- 
chism of  Christianity:  Dost  thou  believe  on  the 
Son  of  God? 

This  transported  the  matter  into  a  different 
realm.  It  sounded  out  above  the  superficial 
inquiries  as  a  great  chord  sounds  out  above 
whispering  and  chattering. 


The  Divinity  of  Christ  15 

We  are  told  that  the  disciples  drew  into  prom- 
inence this  blind  man  first,  desiring  to  know  why 
he  was  born  blind. 

It  was  the  ancient  problem  of  evil:  why  does 
God  permit  evil?  It  remains  to-day  an  unsolved 
problem.  Yet  there  are  those  who  hold  to  that 
one  problem,  and  make  its  insolubility  their 
excuse  for  not  pressing  on  to  the  problem  of  good. 

The  answer  given  is  perhaps  as  adequate  as  any 
yet  found :  Neither  hath  this  man  sinned  nor  his 
parents  but  that  the  works  of  God  should  be 
manifested  in  him. 


It  was  talk  of  the  cure  that  piled  up  questions 
and  aroused  discussion.  The  narrative  preserves 
for  us  perfectly,  almost  like  a  phonograph,  the 
record  of  the  clamor  and  the  clatter.  It  is  in 
miniature  two  thousand  years'  argument  about 
Christianity.  Christ  did  not  wish  the  cure  of 
the  body  nor  the  miracle  to  be  the  important  thing 
in  the  minds  of  the  disciples.  Again  and  again 
did  he  point  them  to  their  own  awakened  con- 
sciousness as  the  evidence  of  his  divinity.  Again 
and  again  did  he  try  to  show  that  the  common 
things  of  their  life,  the  everyday  occurrences, 
where  love  was  present,  were  clearer  revelations 
of  God  than  the  extraordinary  things.  Yet  they 
sought  after  wonders  and  about  them  alone  would 
they  argue. 


16  The  Unexplored  Self 

In  this  respect  we  do  not  seem  to  be  much  in 
advance  of  the  Jews  of  whom  Paul  complained 
that  they  required  miracles  for  proofs  although 
he  presented  no  wonders  but  only  a  "stumbling- 
block,"  a  crucified  Messiah. 

There  has  ever  been  a  perversity  in  human 
nature  which  would  equate  unknown  and  divinity. 
That  was  Herbert  Spencer's  primitivism. 

For  a  complete  discussion  of  the  question  of 
miracles  there  is  a  call  for  careful  definitions  of 
such  words  as  natural  and  supernatural,  of  causal- 
ity, of  personality.  But  these  things  should  never 
distract  from  the  essential  content  of  the  Christian 
faith  which  can  to-day,  at  least,  be  given  with 
the  so-called  wonders  passed  by. 

Perhaps  it  will  be  enough  here  to  say,  on  the 
one  hand,  that  every  day  we  interfere  in  the 
natural  course  of  events — we  change  them;  that 
we  are  not  deterred  from  making  requests  of  one 
another  by  the  danger  of  breaking  the  chain  of 
cause  and  effect;  that  it  is  not  difficult,  further- 
more, to  find  the  word  natural  insufficient  when 
speaking  of  the  fact  that  the  ink  leaves  the  ink- 
well and  is  spread  on  the  page  to  make  this  sen- 
tence; and  that  we  swim  in  a  sea  of  mystery 
where  commonest  events  are  as  miraculous,  as 
"  divine/' as  the  unexplained. 

And  it  is  enough  to  say,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
the  ability  to  do  marvels  is  no  evidence  of  divin- 
ity.   Magic  has  been  as  much  the  ally  of  evil  as  of 


The  Divinity  of  Christ  17 

good.  When  the  miraculous  birth  of  Christ  is 
urged  in  many  quarters  as  the  most  important 
evidence  for  his  divine  sonship,  the  point  to  be 
made  against  such  an  argument  is  not  its  scientific 
impossibility;  science  recognizes  no  such  impos- 
sibility; the  point  is  rather  that  a  birth  from  a 
virgin  is  of  itself  no  more  evidence  of  divinity 
than  it  is  of  monstrosity. 

No,  the  divinity  of  the  son  of  man  is  more 
wonderful  than  any  one  has  been  able  to  imagine. 
At  the  same  time  it  is  near  and  simple.  Thor- 
oughly supernatural  is  it,  if  by  natural  we 
mean  the  mechanicalism  of  physics.  Thoroughly 
natural  it  is,  if  by  natural  we  mean  those  events 
that  fit  vitally  into  human  experience. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  miracles,  which  never 
gave  a  worthy  understanding  of  Christianity, 
should  in  these  latter  days  become  in  turn  the 
stumbling-block  to  keep  men  away  altogether. 
The  narratives  in  the  New  Testament  show  that 
those  who  followed  Christ  because  of  the  miracles 
least  understood  him. 

It  is  possible  that  the  death  on  the  cross  was 
accepted,  in  part,  to  shock,  as  it  were,  his  disciples 
into  a  deeper  view  of  his  message. 


The  call  is  to  turn  from  the  many  questions 
and  to  see  the  meaning  of  the  essential  one  of 


18  The  Unexplored  Self 

Christianity:  Dost  thou  believe  on  the  son  of 
God? 

A  consideration  of  the  meaning  of  the  phrase, 
the  son  of  God,  need  not  open  up  the  usual  im- 
mense controversial  fields.  If  we  understand 
the  line  of  approach,  we  shall,  I  believe,  agree 
upon  the  simplicity  of  the  question,  and  the  answer 
will  come  to  each  one  from  his  own  experience 
and  never  from  theological  argumentation. 

The  difficulty  which  people  have  with  the 
phrase,  the  son  of  God,  would  seem  to  arise 
because,  instead  of  starting  with  the  facts  and  so 
working  out  their  theories,  they  start  with  the 
theories  and  try  to  square  the  facts  with  them. 

It  is  the  old  difficulty  of  metaphysics  inter- 
fering with  science.  Without  a  sufficient  basis 
of  fact,  certain  ideas  about  God  have  obtained 
sway.  He  is  omniscient,  omnipotent,  immutable, 
absolute,  and  a  great  mass  of  similar  attributes 
are  superadded,  many  of  which  are  irreconcilable, 
but  withal  pompous,  magniloquent,  majestic,  and 
having  in  them  the  very  essence  of  infinity. 

Now  then  with  all  this  host  of  attendant  con- 
ceptions which  seem  irrevocably  associated  with 
the  thought  of  God,  they  come  to  the  phrase, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  son  of  God,  and  the  phrase 
seems  absurd. 

The  phrase  seems  absurd  to  them,  unless  pos- 
sibly Jesus  of  Nazareth  can  be  provided  also  with 
the  attributes  of  omnipotence  and  omniscience; 
and  some  enthusiasts  have  not  hesitated  to  say 


The  Divinity  of  Christ  19 

that  he  had  them,  though  the  narratives  do  not 
say  so  nor  did  Jesus  claim  any  such  attributes. 

In  contrast  with  this  favorite  approach  of 
Natural  Theology  and  of  most  who  come  to  the 
phrase  with  a  background  of  metaphysics,  is 
the  approach  through  experience,  where  out  of 
despair  and  inability  to  find  God  or  to  find  any- 
thing in  life  that  is  sufficient,  the  steps  lead  to 
this  peasant  of  Galilee  with  his  kindliness,  his 
love  for  man  as  man,  his  belief  in  the  worth  of 
life  and  in  a  heavenly  father. 

He  was  a  carpenter  who  can,  first  of  all,  at  least 
be  sympathized  with  and  liked.  Now  can  his 
confidence  that  there  is  a  meaning  in  his  and  in 
our  existence  be  accepted? 

The  progress  is,  therefore,  from  that  which  is 
better  known  to  that  which  is  less  evident. 
Science  says  that  we  must  come  to  her  altars  un- 
prejudiced and  likewise  Jesus  claimed  that  only 
those  who  had  the  childlike  willingness  to  be 
taught  could  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


One  of  the  benefits  of  the  Agnosticism  that 
swept  over  our  thought  world  in  the  last  century 
was  that  it  compelled  men  to  realize  how  little  they 
knew  about  God. 

In  part  as  a  result  of  this  wave  of  Agnosticism 
we  are  better  ready  to  begin  over  again ;  and  now 


20  The  Unexplored  Self 

the  phrase,  Jesus  the  son  of  God,  presents  an 
entirely  different  problem,  not  a  complicated  one. 
We  are  now  ready  to  understand  it  as  I  believe 
Christ  intended  us  to. 

The  question  latent  in  the  phrase,  the  son  of 
God,  has  seemed  to  many  to  be :  God  being  already 
known,  could  Jesus  have  been  his  son?  The 
real  problem  is:  Jesus  being  known,  did  he  have 
a  father  God?    Was  his  faith  justified? 

The  problem  is  not:  God  we  have  found  out 
about,  now  was  Jesus  his  son ;  but :  Jesus  we  know, 
now  did  he  have  a  heavenly  father? 

Those  who  assent  to  the  phrase  look  to  their  own 
heart's  response  for  the  answer,  and  say  yes;  and 
the  turning  point  of  the  whole  problem  of  Chris- 
tianity is  at  this  place.  If  Christ  had  that  personal 
relationship  to  the  meaning  of  life,  we  may  also 
have  it. 

The  importance  of  Christ's  message  is  not  in 
his  ethics;  in  this  he  is  not  unique;  but  in  his 
claim  of  an  immediate  personal  relation  through 
his  spirit  of  service  and  self-sacrifice  to  a  directing 
Spirit  of  love. 

Christianity  holds  to  the  strictly  scientific  or 
positivistic  method.  It  works  from  the  known 
to  the  unknown.  It  passes  from  Jesus  to  God  and 
not  vice  versa.  We  reach  deity  through  the  high- 
est human.  And  from  this  standpoint  anthropo- 
morphism is  not  unnatural.  Jesus'  spirit  we  learn 
to  love  first  and  then  we  ask  in  regard  to  God. 


The  Divinity  of  Christ  21 

It  is  this  difference  in  direction  which  makes 
the  Unitarian  totally  different  from  the  Evangel- 
ical Christian.  This  is  not  a  day  to  advocate  a 
policy  of  exclusion  but  the  two  views  are  diametri- 
cally opposed.  The  Unitarian  has  answers  to  a 
long  train  of  questions,  in  theory  at  least,  before 
he  reaches  Christ ;  while  Evangelical  Christianity 
finds  in  the  yearning  of  Christ  something  trans- 
cendent and  passes  only  step  by  step  to  the  higher 
implicates  of  this  yearning. 

The  Evangelical  Christian  finds  the  highest 
thing  in  experience  to  be  the  love  and  service 
which  made  the  character  of  Christ ;  and  therefore 
the  idea  of  God  will  contain  most  clearly  these 
attributes.  The  Evangelical  will  speak  of  God 
not  as  the  Absolute,  which  carries  little  meaning, 
nor  as  the  Unknown,  which  means  nothing  at  all, 
but  as  the  Helper  of  humanity,  the  Worker,  the 
Purposer,  the  Parent,  as  Love. 

Though  sympathizing  with  delight  in  nature 
and  delight  in  the  manifestation  of  God  to  be 
found  in  the  beauty  of  the  rocks  and  the  seas,  he 
will  still  find  more  of  the  image  of  God  in  the 
foul  tramp  than  in  the  verdure  of  spring  or  the 
infinity  of  stellar  space.  He  will  find  more  of  him 
in  the  foul  tramp  because  he  considers  even  a 
spark  of  yearning  and  desire  to  be  among  the  high- 
est of  experiences,  higher  than  colors  or  beauty ; 
and  therefore  his  ideas  of  God  will  be  fashioned 
according  to  these  highest  goods. 

In  using  the  phrase,  the  son  of  God,  he  will  not 


22  The  Unexplored  Self 

feel  that  he  is  dragging  God  down  but  that  he  is  rais- 
ing man  up  to  the  nobler  levels  of  his  experience. 


It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  Church  clings  so 
tenaciously  to  the  phrase  and  is  not  satisfied  with 
any  system  which  repudiates  it.  In  it  is  the  hope 
of  life,  that  which  lifts  man  out  of  the  temporal 
and  the  earthly.     If  it  be  rejected  men  are  nought. 

Non-Christian  and  Pseudo-Christian  systems 
begin  their  text-books  with  exhaustive  questions 
upon  deity  and  the  attributes  of  deity,  and  after- 
ward come  to  talk  about  man  or  about  Christ. 
Evangelical  Christianity  would  have  Christ  in  the 
first  chapters,  as  the  introduction  to  religious 
matters,  and  then  ask  about  corollaries  of  his 
life  and  thought.  It  would  put  the  question  asked 
of  the  man  born  blind  as  the  dominating  problem. 

The  question  as  to  the  meaning  of  our  days  and 
as  to  our  destiny  is  after  all  the  most  important 
and  most  pressing  that  can  agitate  minds.  Do 
we  believe  that  frail  humanity  through  its  desire 
for  soul  progress  and  for  service,  called  to  con- 
sciousness through  the  spirit  of  Christ,  is  inti- 
mately related  to  a  divinity,  as  children  are  to 
parents?  The  direction  of  knowledge  is  from  Jesus 
the  son  of  man,  to  God  the  Father  of  mankind. 

This  problem  in  the  divinity  of  Christ  and  its 
approach  to  God  will  become  clearer  if  we  con- 
trast other  approaches. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  WITNESS  TO  GOD 


THE  life  of  Christ  was  an  out-of-doors  life. 
His  teachings  encourage  bird-lore  and  stim- 
ulate nature  study.  His  sayings  have  the  flavor 
of  the  fields  and  the  aroma  of  the  flowers. 

A  happy  corollary  of  the  Christian  theorem  is 
it  that  nature  and  man  are  kindred.  We  may 
speak  with  Saint  Francis  of  our  brother  the  wind 
and  of  our  sister  the  rain.  Christ  said  that  our 
common  heavenly  father  fed  the  birds  and  pro- 
vided the  raiment  for  the  grass. 

He  delighted  in  nature  and  loved  its  bigness 
along  with  its  simplicity.  He  appreciated  its 
charm  as  well  as  its  grandeur.  It  is  safe  to  speak 
of  him  as  inspiring  the  recourse  to  nature  for 
recreation  and  for  reviving. 

We  are  making  no  attempt,  however,  to  corner, 
as  it  were,  the  love  of  nature  in  behalf  of  Chris- 
tianity. Pagan  love  of  nature  has  in  general 
perhaps  been  even  more  conspicuous  than  has 
Christian.     There  has  not  been  wanting  in  all 

23 


24  The  Unexplored  Self 

grades  of  religious  development,  actual  worship 
of  nature,  and  this  worship  has  received  its  theo- 
retic basis  in  the  systems  of  pantheism. 


Yet  there  is  one  thing  which  distinguishes  the 
Christian  love  of  nature,  and  this  is  the  main  point 
of  our  consideration,  Christ  used  his  delight  in 
nature  to  draw  nearer  to  men  and  to  appreciate 
men  more. 

He  turned  to  nature,  not  in  order  to  escape 
into  a  better  realm  and  into  a  nobler  atmosphere, 
but  he  called  attention  to  the  wonders  of  nature 
in  order  to  enhance  the  value  of  men. 

Christianity  differs  from  Paganism  in  that 
Paganism  passes  directly  to  God  from  nature  and 
from  nature  objects,  man  being  lightly  esteemed; 
its  great  gods  are  primarily  nature  forces.  Chris- 
tianity, even  when  it  recognizes  the  witness  to 
God  in  nature,  traces  the  witness  back 
through  human  experience;  in  all  of  its  flights 
to  God,  therefore,  it  takes  the  human  with  it. 

Modern  Paganism  finds  happiness  by  forgetting 
suffering  which  is  an  essential  part  of  reality. 
Christianity  reveals  a  suffering  God. 


In  the  strain  of  modern  existence  many  have 
felt  themselves  literally  driven  back  to  nature. 
The  poetic  movement  and  the  scientific  move- 
ment of  the  last  century  together  with  the  con- 


The  Witness  to  God  25 

jested  urban  life  have  all  combined  to  exalt  our 
appreciation  of  the  hills  and  of  the  trees. 

The  exuberance  of  life  in  the  open  has  become  a 
sort  of  cult.  Men  feel  their  souls  purified  while 
gazing  upon  moving  waters,  and  strengthened  by 
the  motionless  peaks.  They  feel  their  person- 
alities expanding  under  the  influence  of  wide 
horizons  and  vast  stretches  of  country.  Such 
experiences  seem  conducive  to  a  worshipful 
mood. 

The  silence,  whether  of  blue  sky  or  of  thick, 
leafy  branches  overhead,  seems  to  allure  one  to  the 
thought  of  communion  with  the  divine  spirit. 
Our  modern  literature  is  sprinkled  with  passages 
where  prayers  and  praise  seem  the  involuntary 
expression  induced  by  the  splendor  or  charm  of 
outdoor  surroundings. 

This  feeling  is  typified  in  the  closing  lines  of 
Coleridge's  Hymn  to  Mont  Blanc: 

Ye  living  flowers  that  skirt  the  eternal  frost, 
Ye  wild  goats,  sporting  round  the  eagle's  nest, 
Ye  eagles,  playmates  of  the  mountain  storm, 
Ye  lightnings,  the  dread  arrows  of  the  clouds, 
Ye  signs  and  wonders  of  the  elements 
Utter  forth  God  and  fill  the  hills  with  praise ! 
Thou  too,  hoar  Mount,    .    .    . 
Rise  like  a  cloud  of  incense  to  the  skies ! 
Thou  kingly  spirit  throned  among  the  hills, 
Thou  dread  ambassador  from  earth  to  heaven, 
Great  Hierarch,  tell  thou  the  silent  sky 


26  The  Unexplored  Self 

And  tell  the  stars  and  tell  yon  rising  sun — 
Earth  with  her  thousand  voices  praises  God. 

Such  exclamations  and  such  rhapsodies  are  not 
to  be  disparaged.  Out-of-door  worship  is  rather 
to  be  encouraged.  Most  of  Christ's  services  were 
held  with  no  roofs  overhead.  He  might  have 
asked  with  Bryant: 

Should  we,  in  the  world's  riper  years,  neglect 
God's  ancient  sanctuaries,  and  adore 
Only  among  the  crowd  and  under  roofs 
That  our  frail  hands  have  raised? 

There  is  a  definite  religious  advantage  in  the 
fact  that  out-of-doors,  social  distinctions  are  easily 
obliterated.  The  garments  of  nature  are  so  rich 
and  delicate  that  even  the  family  of  Crcesus  is  in 
no  position  to  be  puffed  up. 

Nevertheless,  the  modern  nature  worship 
which  is  dissociated  from  the  usual  walks 
of  men,  is  in  grave  danger  of  being  pagan 
because  it  easily  nourishes  a  lessening  regard 
for  the  common  man,  and  there  is  and  has 
been  much  paganism  masquerading  as  Chris- 
tianity. 

The  difference  depends  on  whether  the  inspira- 
tion caught  from  nature  passes  through  an  interest 
in  man  while  on  its  way  to  God,  or  whether  man 
is  left  out.  Any  worship  which  leads  away  from 
man  as  revealing  God  most  intimately  and 
essentially,  is  unchristian. 


The  Witness  to  God  27 


Unfortunately,  until  one  has  penetrated  to  the 
deeper  value  in  human  beings,  it  is  easier  to  love 
the  woods  and  the  ocean  and  the  sky  than  it  is 
to  love  the  neighbor. 

The  meanness  and  pettiness  of  his  fellow  human 
beings  wears  upon  one  and  he  says,  Oh,  for  wings 
like  a  dove  to  fly  away  and  be  at  rest.  It  is  easier, 
he  finds,  to  maintain  equanimity  in  the  presence 
of  inanimate  objects.  In  the  wilds,  where  there  is 
no  competition  and  rivalry,  serenity  of  temper  is 
not  difficult. 

There,  free  from  contentions  and  shams,  in  the 
midst  of  the  harmony  and  beauty,  he  can  learn  once 
more  to  laugh  and  relax.  There,  in  the  quiet  and 
peace,  he  can  discover  God  and  the  spirit  of  God. 
There,  he  can  exult  and  feel  earth's  grandeur.  I 
have  heard  many  speak  in  this  strain. 

Christ,  however,  felt  all  this  exultation  and  gran- 
deur in  the  contemplation  of  man.  He  discovered 
God  even  more  in  the  streets  and  the  homes.  For 
him  there  was  no  delight  or  ecstasy  to  compare 
with  the  love  and  sympathy  among  human  beings. 

Christianity  finds  more  of  God  in  the  wretched 
prodigal,  yes,  in  the  reeling  drunkard  than  in  the 
gorgeous  sunset  or  the  thundering  waterfall. 

Christianity  looks  beneath  the  inconsistencies 
and  the  vanities  and  appreciates  the  soul.  It 
looks  beneath  the  deception  and  selfishness  to 


28  The  Unexplored  Self 

find  the  kindliness  and  generosity.  It  looks  be- 
neath the  fret  and  anxiety  to  find  the  stability  and 
continuity. 

All  the  ecstasy  of  wide  outlooks  and  great  vistas 
it  feels  in  viewing  the  past  and  the  future  of  man. 
It  may  turn  to  nature  for  quiet  and  change,  but 
not  to  escape  the  call  of  the  human. 


In  fact  any  contemplation  of  nature  discloses 
the  human  there  before  it  does  the  divine.  Just  as 
history  is  man  drawn  out  to  show  his  development, 
so  nature  is  man  spread  out  as  a  revelation  to  us 
of  character. 

Nature  has  even  more  cruelty  and  repulsiveness 
than  man,  but  it  is  there  detached  in  such  a  way 
that  we  can  pick  and  choose,  while  in  the  actual 
human  being  the  good  and  the  bad  are  often 
snugly  interwoven.  The  fangs  and  the  snarls  are 
often  not  to  be  avoided. 

There  is  nothing  in  nature  which  is  not  in  man, 
at  least  in  his  appreciation.  The  color  of  the  rose 
and  of  the  violet  is  in  him — the  wooing  of  the  fields 
and  woods — the  sounds  of  the  forests  and  streams. 

Man  is  the  lazy  drone  and  the  busy  bee.  He  is 
the  slinking  jackal  and  the  dull  ox.  He  is  these 
and  more. 

He  is  the  volatile  cloud  and  the  crimson  sunrise. 
He  is  the  impenetrable  sky  and  the  starry  host. 
He  is  these  and  more. 


The  Witness  to  God  29 

He  is  the  plaintive  wind  and  the  boisterous 
hurricane,  the  melodious  tune  and  the  raptured 
symphony.     He  is  all  these  and  more. 

Man  is  so  many  things  that  it  is  hard  to  realize 
him.  To  the  uninitiated  he  gives  forth  a  confused 
note.  He  seems  blurred.  In  nature  we  can 
more  easily  separate  the  attractive  from  the  sordid 
and  fix  our  eyes  only  on  the  beautiful.  With 
man  the  dross  is  often  nearest  the  surface  and  we 
must  penetrate  farther  to  find  the  gold. 

For  him  who  understands,  there  is  more  of 
majesty  and  eternity  in  the  crowded  districts 
of  our  great  cities  than  there  is  in  the  Alps  and  the 
Rockies.  No  current  of  a  Nile  or  an  Amazon 
can  compare  with  the  wonderful  flow  of  immi- 
grants into  our  metropolis. 

It  becomes  something  divinely  grand  to  think 
of  the  hopes  and  the  perplexities,  the  self-sacrifice 
and  the  disappointment,  the  love  and  the  grief 
that  sweep  in  a  great  tide,  surging  through  our 
welcoming  harbor,  out  from  the  petty  Atlantic, 
entering  the  ocean  of  human  effort. 

We  may  look  at  man  at  his  worst,  in  the  so- 
called  slums.  And  we  shall  see,  in  the  little  family 
circles  huddled  within  narrow  walls,  the  plans  of 
the  parents,  the  hopes  of  the  youth,  the  gladness 
of  the  children,  the  wrongs  and  the  fears,  the  fail- 
ures and  the  resolves.  And  to  every  one  of  these 
countless  circles  throughout  the  day  thoughts 
return,  and  around  every  centre  affections  cling. 


30  The  Unexplored  Self 

The  words  used  in  business  and  work,  not  hav- 
ing originated  under  poetic  impulse,  clumsily  ex- 
press the  real  grace  and  delicacy  there  is  in  the 
commonplace  occurrences  of  living.  The  words  in 
nature  have  the  advantage  of  having  been  often 
the  creative  work  of  poetic  temperaments.  But 
even  without  the  power  to  put  it  into  phrases,  a 
little  consideration  will  enable  one  to  feel  how 
much  more  noble  and  notable  is  the  witness  to 
God  that  is  furnished  by  humanity,  than  that  of 
moon  and  stars. 

If  we  trace  out  all  the  motives  that  lead  up  even 
to  a  wrong  act,  somewhere  we  shall  find  a  divine 
spark  which  reveals  more  of  divinity  than  does 
the  sweep  of  the  tides  or  the  crash  of  an  avalanche. 


Life  in  the  mountains,  or  out  in  nature  any- 
where helps  us  best  and  witnesses  most  to  God 
when  we  learn  to  interpret  man  through  what  we 
see.  We  are  then  using  nature  objects  as  hiero- 
glyphs to  write  down  human  ideas. 

The  firmly  seated  hills,  quiet  and  eternal,  spell 
stability.  The  trees,  waiting  day  in  and  day  out, 
give  the  word  patience.  The  bushes  tell  of  the 
best  use  of  a  single  talent.  The  grass,  coming 
up  indomitable  year  after  year,  reiterates  persis- 
tence. Upon  the  soil  is  written  the  fact  of  pre- 
paredness; the  earth  lies  ready  for  use.  The 
sky  rises  overhead  and  opens   up  hope  for  an 


The  Witness  to  God  31 

issuance  to  all  this  life.  The  clouds  either  hurry 
on,  a  lesson  of  duty,  or  thick  and  heavy  they  speak 
of  disguised  blessings.  The  winds  whisper  or 
shout  of  the  potency  of  unseen  forces. 

All  these  messages, and  many,  many  more,  come 
we  say  from  nature,  but  note  that  they  come  to 
him  who  already  bears  the  love  of  humanity  on 
his  heart  and  mind. 

It  is  the  thought  of  humanity  that  makes  elo- 
quent the  forces  of  nature,  and  it  is  the  love  of 
man  which  makes  one  ascribe  to  mindless  things 
tongues  and  a  language.  It  is  the  kinship  of 
man  which  lets  one  hear  the  voices  and  interpret 
the  tidings. 

The  help  from  the  beauty  of  a  landscape  comes 
provided  we  rise  ourselves,  as  human  beings,  to 
the  grandeur  and  exaltation  of  it.  The  beauty 
speaks  of  the  true  God  only  as  we  feel  ourselves 
co-partners  in  the  beauty. 

There  are  times  when  the  self,  the  man,  seems 
to  be  lost  in  the  presence  of  nature*  While  one 
is  climbing  toward  a  great  view-point,  already 
during  the  approach  there  come  glimpses  of  the 
panorama  that  is  to  appear;  as  one  might  mount 
some  cathedral  steps  and  hear  dimly  the  sound  of 
the  music  within;  but  when  the  final  summit  is 
attained  and  all  obstacles  are  suddenly  out  of  the 
way,  it  is  as  if  one  had  passed  inside  the  cathedral 
doors  and  was  suddenly  merged  in  the  sea  of 
music — no  longer  a  human  being  but  become  an 


32  The  Unexplored  Self 

organ  note  and  dissolved  in  the  harmonies  that 
floated  from  nave  to  dome. 

So  the  mountain  climber  looks  out  over  hill 
and  valley  where  everything  is  on  so  grand  a  scale 
that  the  self  is  blended  into  the  great  whole  and 
it  is  almost  with  a  sigh  that  the  transported  soul 
is  brought  back  to  its  narrow  walls  and  to  its 
torpid  walk. 

The  point  we  are  making  is  that  such  transport 
comes  from  within  and  that  it  is  the  mind  which  is 
at  least  in  part  creator  of  all  that  magnificence. 

To  him  who  comes  to  nature  without  selection 
and  without  a  key  obtained  from  elsewhere,  the 
message  is  a  very  disheartening  one.  As  Tennyson 
hears  her  say: 

I  care  for  nothing,  all  shall  go. 

Thou  makest  thine  appeal  to  me : 
I  bring  to  life,  I  bring  to  death; 
The  spirit  does  but  mean  the  breath: 
I  know  no  more. 

He  came  to  nature  for  a  good  in  life,  and: 

Nature,  red  in  tooth  and  claw 

With  ravine,  shrieked  against  his  creed. 

To  him,  however,  who  considers  the  growing 
lily  of  the  field  and  the  singing  birds  of  the  air, 


The  Witness  to  God  33 

in  the  light  of  human  yearnings,  there  is  encour- 
agement even  in  lack  and  longing. 


There  are  some  who  find  this  ceaseless  turn- 
ing of  Christianity  to  human  life  irritating 
and  even  harrowing.  Christianity,  in  view 
of  the  constant  suffering  that  there  is  and  of 
the  hands  that  are  stretched  out  for  help  on  all 
sides,  seems  to  them  too  agitating  for  healthy 
growth. 

The  pagans  associated  calmness  and  serenity 
with  their  worship.  In  the  thoughts  of  the  Greeks 
the  home  of  the  gods  was  upon  snow-capped 
Olympus,  rising  peaceful,  silent,  and  white  above 
the  surrounding  country. 

In  a  somewhat  similar  way  elevation  and 
aloofness  from  the  pulse  of  human  desire  have  been 
salient  features  in  all  the  more  advanced  pagan 
religions. 

The  part  that  the  graceful  slopes  of  snow- 
crowned  Fujiyama  plays  in  Japanese  art  and  life 
has  often  been  commented  upon.  Whatever  be 
the  scene  depicted  in  the  foreground  the  artist 
likes  to  outline  Fujiyama  looming  up  in  the 
background. 

There  is  thus  a  majesty  and  grandeur  imparted 
to  the  most  trivial  events.  Men  near  at  hand 
may  be  worried,  but  Fujiyama  points  the  mind 
to  the  eternal  rest. 


34  The  Unexplored  Self 

They  misunderstand  Christianity  who  do  not 
perceive  the  even  nobler  calm  which  it  brings. 
In  the  background  of  every  human  life  and  event 
should  stand  in  view,  not  a  snow-topped  peak,  but 
the  figure  of  the  ideal  man  pointing  to  God  him- 
self; and  he  who  has  caught  the  secret  of  faith 
will  always  walk  reminded  of  the  presence  of  him 
whose  human  interest  banishes  anxious  thought 
for  the  morrow. 

Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air;  consider  the  lilies 
of  the  field ;  .  .  .  shall  he  not  much  more  feed  and 
clothe  you,  oh  ye  of  little  faith.  Christianity 
validates  the  value  of  the  individual  man.  This 
is  its  directly  practical  and  most  important  side. 

It  also  supplements  science  in  explaining  the 
mystery  of  life,  and  thus  indirectly  contributes 
to  making  men  appreciate  their  destiny. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  MYSTERY  MADE  MANIFEST 


TO  one  who  looks  upon  this  existence  of  ours 
inquiringly  the  sense  of  mystery  arises. 
Life  which  appeared  natural  begins  to  show  itself 
unexplained .  Things  which  appeared  common  be- 
gin to  show  themselves  extraordinary — the  endless 
stretch  of  space,  the  countless  orders  of  life,  the 
reality  of  waketime,  the  oblivion  of  sleep,  the  busy 
men  and  women,  the  passionless  march  of  events, 
birth,  consciousness,  and  death. 

If  one  continues  to  inquire,  the  strangeness 
takes  a  deeper  and  deeper  hold  and  the  mystery 
of  existence  looms  up  behind  every  other  problem. 
A  mystery  is  not  merely  something  unknown. 
There  is  involved  an  uncertainty  that  paralyzes 
confidence  and  inhibits  effort.  In  the  presence 
of  a  mystery  men  are  hushed  and  restrained. 
They  grope  at  best  and  are  held  something  as 
birds  are  said  to  be  fixed  by  the  gaze  of  a  serpent. 

Youth  starts  out  boldly  to  master  this  mystery, 
but  a  wider  view  shows  it  increasing.     What  was 

35 


36  The  Unexplored  Self 

at  first  the  eagerness  of  curiosity  becomes  before 
long  the  hesitation  of  perplexity.  The  robust 
spirit  of  inquiry  becomes  the  halting  spirit  of 
doubt.  So  that  although  youth  demands  an 
explanation,  the  counsel  of  maturity  is:  "Turn 
away  from  thinking  about  it  lest  you  become 
mad — lest  you  become  mad." 

An  uncleared  mystery  brooding  over  the  mind  is 
able  to  take  away  the  zest  of  endeavor.  Some  who 
have  been  bitten  by  this  sense  of  mystery  have 
found  the  motor  impulse  gone  and  themselves 
incapacitated  for  healthy  activity.  Turn  to  what 
labor  they  will  the  unsolved  enigma  of  life  blocks 
their  interests  and  enervates  their  purposes. 

A  mystery  where  one's  own  fate  is  involved  is  a 
much  more  active  influence  than  the  mere  recog- 
nition of  ignorance.  It  has  a  directly  vitiating  ef- 
fect upon  conduct.  It  suspends  decisions.  Even 
if  one  resolutely  puts  it  out  of  his  mind  and  so  is 
no  longer  held  motionless  in  the  baleful  fascination 
of  it,  the  fact  that  the  problem  of  existence  re- 
mains unsolved  tends  to  make  him  in  his  world- 
view  indifferent  and  careless.  If  he  pushes  the 
problem  aside  the  incentive  of  reality  is  also  gone. 

What  I  mean  is  that  comparatively  few  may 
permit  the  presence  of  the  mystery  to  induce 
despondency,  but  there  are  many,  perhaps  the 
majority  of  civilized  men,  who  think  that  the 
mystery  is  unsolvable,  and  the  fact  of  this' opinion 
prevents  any  serious  thought  about  destiny. 

We  may  seem  to  be  tracing  current  immorality 


The  Mystery  Made  Manifest        37 

and  indifference  to  a  rather  remote  cause.  It  is 
a  cause,  however,  which  is  at  the  very  foundation 
of  the  prevalent  scepticism  and  irreligion.  We 
have  indeed  more  kindliness  now  than  ever 
before,  but  there  is  little  concern  as  to  the  basis 
of  the  kindliness ;  and  love  which  has  not  the  sup- 
port of  some  principle  is  fickle. 

The  evil  of  an  ineffectual  struggle  with  the  prob- 
lem of  destiny  very  soon  shows  itself  in  the  moral 
tone  of  a  community,  and  we  at  the  present  time 
are  suffering  from  just  such  an  evil. 

The  conclusions  of  modern  science  have  tended 
to  increase  rather  than  to  diminish  the  enigma  of 
our  life.  There  were  times  when  astronomy  and 
geology  and  evolution  and  physics  in  turn  prom- 
ised explanations — promises  unfulfilled.  Science 
describes  rather  than  explains  events,  and  the  net 
result  of  failure  has  been  to  make  the  prospect  of 
solution  more  remote  than  before. 

In  fact  the  revival  of  science  which  took  place 
during  the  last  century  called  attention  anew  to 
the  "riddle  of  the  sphinx  "  and  therefore  now,  even 
though  men  may  cease  to  bother  themselves  about 
it,  they  remember  that  no  solution  was  forthcoming 
and  life  stands  unjustified ;  integrity  has  only  the 
sanction  of  expediency;  and  affection  is  arbitrary. 


The  mystery  of  life  has  come  to  be  known  as 
the  riddle  of  the  sphinx,  the  ancient  emblem  of 


38  The  Unexplored  Self 

enigma.  There  is  a  peculiar  appropriateness  in 
this  name  because  the  sphinx,  the  product  of  a 
rude  art,  combines  the  characters  of  a  seer  and  a 
mute.  The  eyes,  clumsily  carved,  do  not  converge 
but  lead  out  along  parallel  lines  and  therefore  are 
fixed  upon  eternity.  The  mouth  because  of  its 
very  lifelessness  gives  no  promise  of  opening  and 
the  effect  of  the  whole  is  of  portent  and  silence. 

The  soul  tragedy  when  one  resolutely  but 
ineffectually  faces  the  riddle,  is  well  pictured 
in  Thomson's  City  of  Dreadful  Night.  James 
Thomson  was  a  poet  of  the  second  half  of  the  last 
century.  He  is  little  heard  of  to-day,  because  the 
morbid  tone  of  his  verse  is  rightly  felt  to  be  un- 
wholesome, but  he  was  a  man  of  power  and  insight. 
In  one  of  the  visions  of  his  poem  he  sees,  face  to 
face,  a  sphinx  in  shadow  to  the  breast  and  an 
angel  with  drawn  sword  to  strike.  Then  he 
sinks  into  a  stupor  from  which  a  crash  awakens 
him,  and  he  sees  the  angel's  wings  have  fallen  and 
only  a  warrior  stands  leaning  on  his  sword  still 
facing  the  unchanged  sphinx.  Again  the  stupor 
and  again  the  crash,  and  this  time  the  sword  is 
broken  and  a  man  stands  with  his  hands  raised 
in  entreaty  beneath  the  implacable  gaze.  The 
crash  which  awakens  the  poet  the  last  time  shows 
a  body  fallen  between  the  monster's  feet  and  still 
ignored  by  the  level  eyes  as  changeless  as  life's 
laws. 

The  poem  doubtless  represents  an  extreme 
instance,  but  the  feeling  is  general  among  us  that 


The  Mystery  Made  Manifest        39 

the  mystery  remains  unsolved,  and  this  general 
feeling  undermines  faith  in  the  value  of  life  and 
restrains  zeal  for  the  purpose  of  life.  Our  genera- 
tion is  active  but  active  in  a  superficial  way  with 
little  hope  of  any  larger  meaning  in  the  activity. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  phase  of  the  Gospel 
taken  up  in  our  subject  is  of  vital  social  importance 
and  the  solution  of  Christianity  if  it  is  valid  is 
redemptive  as  well  as  illuminating. 


The  Bible  brings  to  the  mystery  of  this  life  of 
ours  terms  of  a  divine  purpose  and  a  divine  plan, 
that  is,  the  higher  is  used  to  interpret  the  lower. 
There  are  some  problems  that  may  be  propounded 
in  arithmetic  but  are  insoluble  till  one  applies 
the  forms  of  algebra. 

If  there  were  here  a  book  written  in  cipher,  it 
would  be  one  thing  to  examine  it  mechanically  and 
to  remain  only  with  the  composition  of  the  paper, 
the  manner  of  binding,  the  size  and  shapes  of  the 
marks;  and  it  would  be  quite  another  thing  if 
some  one  who  understood  should  put  the  marks 
together  into  words  and  so  read  out  the  meaning 
and  give  the  message. 

Out  of  the  loot  of  a  Greek  cathedral  I  once 
picked  up  what  I  afterwards  learned  was  a  music 
book  with  the  peculiar  Greek  musical  notation.  I 
can  imagine  a  group  of  scholars  setting  themselves, 
without  any  clue,  to  investigate  the  notation. 


40  The  Unexplored  Self 

They  would  doubtless  call  attention  to  many 
laws  of  agreement.  They  might  even  write  a 
volume  or  two  describing  the  relations  of  the 
symbols,  their  various  positions,  the  recurrence 
of  periods,  the  repetition  of  certain  strokes. 
Very  different  would  be  their  understanding  of  the 
system  if  some  one  recognized  the  music  and 
interpreted  the  marks  into  song. 

A  sheet  of  bars  and  notes  can  be  studied  as  a 
bit  of  geometry  and  spacing.  That  will  be  one 
thing.  It  will  be  something  entirely  different 
when  the  sheet  is  appreciated  as  containing  a 
succession  of  harmonies. 

It  is  in  this  respect  that  the  manifestation  of  the 
mystery  of  existence  made  by  religion  differs  from 
the  descriptions  of  science.  Religion  uses  terms 
of  value  and  worth  in  the  thought  of  a  larger 
design  or  purpose.  The  meaning  of  life  cannot 
be  expressed  in  mechanical  terms  but  it  can  be 
interpreted  in  terms  of  a  great  good. 


Now  the  Christian  revelation  of  the  mystery  is 
different  from  other  theologizing  because  Christ 
did  not  improvise  an  external  God  with  an  alien 
purpose ;  he  found  in  himself  the  divine  of  which 
he  spoke.  He  was  no  mystic.  He  took  the 
love  of  righteousness  and  nobility  which  he 
found  in  himself  as  the  clue  to  solve  the  worth 
of  the  wider  experience.     Thus  he  knew   him- 


The  Mystery  Made  Manifest        41 

self  forever  linked  to  the  divine  and  recognized 
his  father  God. 

This  finding  of  the  divine  in  his  own  personality 
validates  Christ's  solution  and  marks  his  great 
advance  over  the  Old  Testament.  Some  of  the 
older  moralists  had  come  to  see  in  conscience  an 
outside  God  speaking  with  a  still  small  voice,  but 
there  remained  the  chasm  between  humanity  and 
deity,  between  the  self  and  the  voice.  Christ  af- 
firmed this  voice  to  be  the  essential  part  of  the 
self.  The  divine  yearning,  the  aspiration,  the  di- 
vine flame,  he  said  is  the  most  real  self.  To  reach 
the  divine  he  did  not  go  outside  of  his  own  experi- 
ence and  therefore  his  witness  is  true.  What  was 
highest  in  himself  he  recognized  as  the  divine 
expression  and  he  used  this  to  interpret  the  whole 
of  life. 

With  terms  of  modern  psychology  we  would 
say  that  the  value  part  in  the  individual  experience 
must  be  retained  as  the  necessary  interpretant  for 
any  meaning  in  the  whole.  Christ  did  not  use  the 
vocabulary  of  modern  psychology,  but  for  every 
seeker  of  the  meaning  in  life  he  has  established  the 
fact  that  the  meaning  of  the  whole  cannot  be 
dissociated  from  the  meaning  of  the  individual. 

Christ's  manifestation  of  the  purpose  of  life 
is  valid  because  the  divinity  which  he  reveals  is  not 
the  fanciful  personifications  of  mythology;  it  is 
not  the  superstitious  ignorance  of  idolatry — it  is 
valid  because  it  results  from  an  insight  into  the 
essential  self.     Moreover  he  gave  such  an  expres- 


42  The  Unexplored  Self 

sion  of  the  divine  essential  self  that  his  personality 
stands  unique  in  history. 


It  may  help  our  thought  to  say  that  men's  bodies 
are  like  so  many  windows  through  each  one  of 
which,  however  shaped  and  colored  and  however 
small,  purposiveness,  that  is,  God  himself  is 
looking  out.  Christ  taught  men  to  look  for  this 
light,  to  find  God  in  themselves,  and  in  his  own 
spirit  showed  what  we  must  look  for. 

As  evangelical  Christians  we  are  agreed  in  insist- 
ing on  the  divinity  of  Christ.  In  whatever  way  we 
may  further  elucidate  this  theorem,  there  must  fol- 
low from  it,  as  an  immediate  corollary,  the  divinity 
of  man:  so  that  no  matter  how  low  a  man  has 
fallen,  he  shall  be  able  when  he  comes  to  himself, 
to  see  God  there,  to  recognize  the  larger  worth  in 
himself,  and  thus  be  awakened  to  his  true  life. 

When  he  comes  to  himself — that  is  the  secret 
of  Christ's  method.  Show  a  man  his  real  self,  and 
it  is  showing  him  the  source  of  meaning,  it  is 
bringing  him  to  God. 

When  he  comes  to  himself — that  is  the  phrase 
which  is  used  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  When  he  came 
to  himself  was  the  time  that  he  began  to  see  true 
values. 

Men  go  about  in  life  busily  or  aimlessly.  They 
come  to  this  object  or  that  object  and  linger  or 
pass  on.     Once  in  a  while  they  come  across  them- 


The  Mystery  Made  Manifest        43 

selves.  That  is  the  time  to  stop.  It  is  rather  a 
startling  experience  in  one's  wanderings  to  come 
to  himself.  A  man  is  inclined  to  exclaim  in  sur- 
prise, Why  here  is  myself. 

The  plea  of  Christianity  is,  do  not  pass  on  at 
such  a  moment.  Give  up  the  errand  you  were 
running,  however  urgent  it  may  seem.  It  is  of 
first  importance  to  get  acquainted  with  the  self 
for  it  is  there  that  one  is  to  look  for  the  Christ 
spirit  and  so  to  see  God. 

Not  in  the  sunset,  not  in  the  mountain  view, 
not  in  the  kindly  deed  is  the  revelation ;  these  may 
be  the  occasions ;  but  it  is  in  the  vision  of  the  best 
self  whence  a  man  may  venture  to  proclaim  God  as 
his  father.  Not  in  the  heights  nor  depths  is  God 
found ;  the  worth  of  life  is  not  discovered  by  the 
telescope  nor  the  microscope;  God,  the  worth  of 
life  is  to  be  found  in  the  unexplored  self.  Let 
one  feel  the  reality  of  affection  and  the  inde- 
structibility of  love  and  he  will  have  discovered 
the  interpretant  of  all  things. 

This  makes  Christianity  a  matter  of  personal 
experience.  Not  something  accepted  on  the 
word  of  another.  A  man,  therefore,  in  a  real  way 
becomes  a  Christian  for  he  finds  Christ  and  God 
as  his  own  best  self. 


We  may  have  seemed  in  the  last  few  sentences 
to  have  been  travelling  off  from  the  beaten  track, 


44  The  Unexplored  Self 

but  the  idea  we  have  reached  is  one  easily  to 
be  understood,  whether  accepted  or  not.  The 
mystery  that  hath  been  hidden  from  ages  and 
generations  is  made  manifest  when  a  divinity  is 
appreciated  in  man. 

The  divinity  of  man — it  is  a  startling  doctrine, 
one  which  by  its  very  daring  excites  opposition, 
and  a  part  of  the  Church  has  not  yet  shown  itself 
ready  to  affirm  it.  The  Church  has  had  such  a 
struggle  in  maintaining  the  divinity  of  Christ  that 
there  is  naturally  hesitation  in  proclaiming  as 
included  in  that  belief,  as  a  corollary  of  that 
belief,  the  divinity  of  man.  Many  are  pausing 
before  the  declaration,  though  at  the  expense  of 
leaving  the  divinity  of  Christ  a  remote  truth. 

It  is  a  declaration  big  with  possibilities  and 
difficulties.  It  involves  a  re-adjustment  of  argu- 
ments and  emphasis.  Even  though  the  unique- 
ness of  Christ's  personality  is  not  affected,  there 
is  in  some  quarters  hesitation.  The  doctrine 
demands  so  much  more  unselfishness  and  so  much 
more  generosity  than  even  the  revolutionary  doc- 
trines of  the  freedom  of  man,  and  the  equality  of 
man,  and  the  fraternity  of  man,  that  the  cost  to 
personal  ease  and  comfort  must  be  counted. 

In  maintaining  the  divinity  of  man  there  will 
be  no  support  from  the  world  of  the  miraculous, 
no  argument  from  man's  sinlessness,  no  authority 
of  undisputed  proof-texts.  Disease,  selfishness, 
cowardice,  meanness,  must  be  recognized  and  yet 
the  belief  maintained.     Many  are  asking  is  it 


The  Mystery  Made  Manifest        45 

possible?  The  shiftless  man,  the  drunkard,  the 
cruel  man,  the  spiteful  man,  the  unprincipled 
man — can  it  be  said  that  they  are  divine,  children 
of  God? 

Is  it  not  enough  to  say,  that  the  divinity  is 
merely  potential,  something  that  is  to  be  acquired? 
Need  we  understand  that  there  is  something  of 
divinity  even  in  the  lowest? 

More  and  more  clearly  is  the  study  of  Christ's 
teaching  making  it  appear  that  it  was  the  divinity 
of  man  as  man  that  he  announced.  More  and 
more  is  his  teaching  understood  that  the  lost  sheep 
could  never  cease  to  belong  to  the  shepherd,  that 
the  wayward  son  could  never  cease  to  be  the  son 
of  his  father,  that  the  publicans  and  sinners  were 
still  of  the  family  of  God,  that  God  breathed 
into  man  the  breath  of  life  and  that  the  divine 
inbreathing  forever  animates  even  the  lowest  of 
men,  whether  low  because  the  manhood  is  just 
beginning  or  because  the  manhood  has  become 
diseased,  whether  the  man  is  a  toddling  savage 
or  a  tumbled  saint. 

This  then  is  the  manifestation :  that  the  longing 
for  better  things,  for  best  things,  which  every  man 
has,  is  to  be  interpreted  as  guaranteeing  the 
reality  and  eternity  of  value,  is  to  be  interpreted 
in  divine  terms  as  a  direct  relation  to  the  source 
and  end  of  all  worths. 

After  accepting  the  Christian  revelation,  we  still 
remain  in  the  presence  of  the  unknown,  yes  the 
great  unknown,  but   the  oppressiveness  of  fore- 


46  The  Unexplored  Self 

boding  is  taken  away,  the  halting  sense  of  mystery- 
is  gone,  and  there  is  incentive  to  advance  the 
good.  The  attitude  is  that  of  a  child  who  finds 
naught  but  delight  in  the  many  strange  and  new 
things,  because  the  child  in  his  obedience  trusts 
the  love  of  the  parent. 

For  those  who  have  caught  a  hint  of  the  great 
purpose  that  is  being  worked  out  in  life,  the 
recognition  of  ignorance  is  only  a  stimulus  to 
activity  because  there  is  confidence  in  the  per- 
manence of  achievement.  In  a  vital  way  men 
feel  the  incomparable  value  of  the  individual 
soul,  primitive,  cultured,  or  degenerate,  and  this 
is  the  essence  of  Christianity. 


CHAPTER  V 

INCARNATION 


THERE  have  been  some  phrases  in  the  Bible 
which  have  been  like  the  newspaper  crop 
and  produce  reports  to  the  old-fashioned  farmer. 
He  assumes  that  some  one  understands  them  but 
himself  pays  them  no  attention. 

The  word  made  flesh  is  one  of  these  phrases. 
The  theologian  who  has  been  regarded  as  a  sort 
of  operator  in  futures  was  supposed  to  be  inter- 
ested in  it  but  to  the  common  tiller  of  the  ground 
it  was  remote. 

The  time  has  come,  however,  when  religious 
knowledge  is  no  longer  relegated  to  the  specialist. 
The  layman  is  not  satisfied  to  be  in  ignorance  as  to 
the  more  distant  trends.  Matters  that  touch  the 
highest  worth  of  life  are  important  enough  for  the 
ordinary  earner  to  know,  and  life's  husbandmen 
are  seeking  to  be  informed  as  to  the  real  needs 
and  the  real  values. 

This  accounts  in  part  for  the  decadence  of 
theology    at    the    same    time    that    there   is    a 

47 


48  The  Unexplored  Self 

new  interest  in  the  Bible  and  in  the  life  of 
Christ. 

It  is  in  line  with  the  desire  to  find  the  secret  of  the 
New  Testament  influence  that  some  of  its  phrases 
are  being  taken  from  the  realm  of  metaphysics  and 
are  being  recognized  as  eminently  practical. 

Thus  our  subject:  The  Word  Made  Flesh, 
does  not  need  to  take  a  man,  as  it  would  have 
taken  him  twenty-five  years  ago,  into  speculations 
as  to  the  prenatal  relations  of  Christ  to  God,  but 
it  states  a  great  factor  in  which  Christianity  is 
different  from  other  systems. 


Speculation  and  much  that  passes  by  the  name 
of  religion  and  much  that  has  called  itself  Chris- 
tianity has  remained  in  the  world  of  the  word, 
in  the  thought  world.  True  Christianity  insists 
that  the  word  be  made  flesh. 

It  is  not  enough  to  have  beautiful  thoughts, 
to  be  comforted  with  the  visions  of  bliss,  to  lose 
one's  self  in  divine  ecstasy,  to  lay  hold  of  the 
infinite — these  thoughts,  these  visions,  this  con- 
templation must  be  made  into  concrete  reality. 
The  divine  must  become  incarnate. 

This  is  a  far  more  important  and  more  difficult 
thing  than  many  seem  to  think. 

It  is  easy,  for  instance,  to  plan  a  splendid 
picture,  to  imagine  the  various  groupings  and  the 


Incarnation  49 

tints,  but  it  is  something  entirely  different  to 
put  the  picture  on  a  canvas.  The  veriest  tyro 
can  criticise  a  painting  as  falling  short  of  the  ideal. 
Only  the  master  knows  how  far  it  is  from  an  ideal 
to  a  framed  product  on  the  wall. 

Or  again,  many  harbor  the  belief  that  they  can 
write  stories.  They  read  the  poor  stuff  that  often 
comes  out  in  print  and  are  sure  that  they  can  do 
better.  They  conceive  a  plot  and  already  in 
their  minds  the  characters  begin  to  live.  The 
whole  thing  begins  to  take  on,  in  their  thought, 
the  form  of  a  masterpiece,  but  when  they  sit 
down  to  transcribe  upon  paper  that  vivacity  and 
action,  that  imagination  and  thrilling  interest, 
the  result  is  strangely  vapid  and  dull.  Perhaps 
they  are  self -deceived  long  enough  to  read  their 
story  to  a  friend.  Then,  at  least  if  the  friend  be  a 
true  one,  they  realize  what  a  long  step,  no  not  a 
step,  what  a  long  journey  it  is  from  the  idea  to  the 
accepted  production. 

A  striking  exemplification  of  the  difference 
between  the  idea  and  its  realization,  the  word  and 
the  flesh,  is  found  in  two  contrasting  incidents 
from  the  familiar  story  of  Jacob's  life.  At  the 
beginning  of  his  career  his  pathway  appeared  the 
vision  of  a  ladder  set  up  from  earth  to  heaven  and 
he  could  imagine  himself  a  messenger  of  God, 
going  up  and  down  on  the  errands  of  the  Almighty. 
Everything  looked  bright  and  easy.  His  mission 
beckoned  him  to  hurry  on.     Duty  seemed  alluring 


50  The  Unexplored  Self 

and  delightful.  The  world  lay  before  him  ready 
to  be  entered  and  occupied.  Life  was  a  gateway 
to  paradise.  Surely  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven, 
he  exclaimed. 

Twenty-one  years  later  the  vision  had  passed 
away  and  he  was  in  touch  with  real  life.  This 
time  there  was  no  gateway  opening  up  to  paradise, 
but  darkness  and  danger  ahead;  no  angels  beck- 
oning him  but  an  adversary  resisting  him;  no  easy 
dreaming  but  an  all-night  wrestling. 

These  two  incidents  picture  the  difference  be- 
tween the  sentiment  and  the  accomplishment, 
between  the  vision  and  the  touch.  Youth  sees 
God  calling  him.  The  adult  finds  God  opposing 
him,  where  only  out  of  the  opposition  comes  the 
blessing. 


Even  in  this  practical  age  there  is  an  inclination 
both  within  and  without  the  Church  to  rest  satis- 
fied with  the  kindly  feeling,  with  the  spiritual 
visions,  with  the  idea,  with  the  word.  In  Chris- 
tianity, however,  to  have  called  Lord,  Lord,  and 
to  have  well-wished  the  poor  and  needy  is  not 
enough.  The  kindly  feeling  must  have  become 
deeds,  the  vision  must  have  become  a  wrestling  and 
the  idea  actual. 

It  is  comparatively  easy  to  say  what  the  Church 
should  be  and  should  do.  The  Church  at  the  pres- 
ent   time  is  being  subjected  to  a  great  deal  of 


Incarnation  51 

kindly  and  unkindly  criticism.  I  count  among 
my  friends  many  who  stand  aloof  from  the  Church 
and  yet  favor  it  with  much  gratuitous  advice. 
The  Church  should  be  a  social  power,  they  say, 
and  without  social  cleavages. 

But  let  such  critics  turn  their  sentiments  into 
actuality ;  let  them  work  in  an  organization  where 
elbow  touches  elbow  without  selection;  let  them 
go  ahead  and  begin  to  help  make  the  Church 
patterned  in  its  spirit  after  the  very  Christ,  and 
they  will  find  human  nature  not  so  tractable  as 
they  had  supposed. 

It  is  easy  to  criticise  reformers  and  to  point  out 
their  mistakes  but  let  one  attempt  a  reform  him- 
self, whether  in  politics  or  in  social  conditions 
or  in  anything  else,  and  he  will  afterward  speak 
more  sympathetically  of  the  failures  of  others. 
To  be  thrilled  with  a  thought  is  one  thing,  to 
realize  that  thought  in  forms  or  legislation  or 
societies  is  a  very  different  thing. 

Just  now  there  are  many  cults  that  have  a  vogue, 
especially  among  the  daintier  natures,  because 
they  remain  in  the  less  contaminated  atmosphere 
of  mentality.  The  study  of  the  mind  has  opened 
up  a  new  universe  much  less  obstinate  and  vulgar 
than  the  common  universe  of  matter. 

This  new  universe  of  mind  is  light  and  airy. 
It  contains  all  the  variety  of  the  material  world 
but  with  an  infinite  variety  of  its  own.  In  it 
one  is  not  weighted  down  to  earth  for  he  may 


52  The  Unexplored  Self 

travel  from  star  to  star  and  through  the  aeons 
like  a  flash.  He  may  people  it  with  geniuses  or 
fairies  at  will.  He  may  be  a  genius  in  it  himself 
and  govern  with  a  power  like  that  of  the  primeval 
spirit  of  God,  which  said :  Let  there  be,  and  there 
was. 

These  cults  which  abide  in  the  realm  of  thought 
deck  themselves  with  the  nomenclature  of  philos- 
ophy or  of  oriental  religions,  or  they  may  even  call 
themselves  Christian  and  become  pietistic,  mystic. 

It  is  all  attractive  and  simple.  No  hint  of  yokes, 
much  less  of  crosses,  till  suddenly  this  heavy, 
earthy  world  of  ours  obtrudes  its  demands,  its 
limits,  and  the  devotee  is  brought  to  the  ground 
with  a  thud. 

There  is  a  different  law  in  the  members  warring 
against  the  law  of  the  mind  and  bringing  a  man  into 
captivity  so  that  with  the  mind  indeed  he  serves 
the  law  of  God  but  with  the  flesh  the  law  of  sin. 
The  mind  is  wonderful  but  its  constructions  are 
valid  only  as  we  are  successful  in  giving  them  a 
body,  in  making  them  into  bone  and  flesh. 


There  is  a  good  analogy  between  the  transform- 
ing of  thought  into  result  and  the  transforming  of 
water  into  horse-power  and  work.  We  are  told 
by  scientists  that  in  order  to  transform  water 
which  has  been  heated  to  the  temperature  of 
212  degrees,  into  steam  which  shall  also  be  212 


Incarnation  53 

degrees  there  is  required  an  additional  1700  de- 
grees of  heat.  I  do  not  remember  whether  it 
is  exactly  1700  degrees  but  in  any  case  an  enormous 
amount  of  surplus  heat  is  required  to  convert 
water  already  at  the  boiling  point  into  steam. 
We  are  told  that  this  great  amount  of  heat  becomes 
latent,  hidden,  not  to  be  discovered  by  thermal 
measurement.  All  this  means  that  it  calls  for  a 
comparatively  small  amount  of  fire  to  heat  water 
from  the  freezing  point  up  to  the  point  of  work,  but 
then  there  is  a  call  for  a  large  plus,  a  sudden 
increment  before  the  previous  heat  is  at  all  avail- 
able to  drive  a  piston. 

It  is  like  this  with  the  conversion  of  mental 
energy  into  deeds.  The  mind  may  be  warmed 
to  the  point  of  making  plans.  It  may  make  near 
choices.  It  may  have  all  the  thermal  emotions 
of  heroism  and  kindliness.  Its  zeal  may  be  at  the 
top  mark  of  measurement.  The  eyes  may  fill 
with  tears  and  the  pulse  throb  with  sympathy, 
and  yet  the  step  or  rather  the  journey  from  such 
a  condition  of  mind  to  the  actuality  of  performance 
is  a  long  one,  for  it  requires  1700  times  1700  de- 
grees of  added  heat  to  pass  from  the  vision  to  the 
fulfilment. 

A  huge  tank  of  water  which  has  reached  212 
degrees  Fahrenheit  is  powerless  to  start  a  wheel. 
So  it  is  with  much  religious  zeal. 

Those  who  pay  attention  to  the  great  mass  of 
warmed  mentality  are  often  disappointed  at  the 
little  advance  which  the  world  is  making,  but  they 


54  The  Unexplored  Self 

have  failed  to  appreciate  the  overplus  of  latent 
spiritual  energy  that  is  lost  to  sight  when  promise 
becomes  fruition. 


The  recognition  that  in  Christianity  the  word 
is  to  become  flesh  is  important  for  those  who  have 
mistaken  theology  for  Christianity.  There  are 
many  still  among  us  who  confuse  skill  in  religi- 
ous speculation  with  Christianity.  They  compile 
sentences  into  formulas  and  make  those  the  test 
of  discipleship.  It  is  a  useless  test  and  misleads 
men  from  the  true  meaning  of  the  Incarnation, 
in  carna,  making  into  flesh. 

Our  subject  is  important  also  for  those  who 
have  been  attracted  by  religions  which  are  satisfied 
to  dwell  in  the  world  of  thought — the  world  out 
of  which  the  limping  life  of  actuality  may  be 
excluded.  There  are  many  such  who  begin  to 
plume  themselves  on  the  greater  depth  of  their 
new  religious  insight. 

Though  one,  however,  understands  all  knowl- 
edge and  all  mysteries  and  is  not  the  good 
Samaritan,  it  is  nothing. 

Our  subject  is  specially  important  for  those 
who  are  discouraged  by  their  own  difficulty  in 
putting  into  deeds  what  is  in  their  minds.  Days 
started  with  the  best  of  resolves,  when  looked  at 
in  retrospect,  have  little  influenced  the  march  of 


Incarnation  55 

events.  The  pettiness  of  the  accomplishment 
compared  with  the  grandeur  of  the  anticipation 
is  one  of  the  primer  lessons  of  life.  It  is  something 
to  realize  that  a  very  little  advance  means  a  great, 
great  deal. 

Those  who  criticise  existing  institutions  and 
organizations  would  do  well  themselves  to  attempt 
betterments.  The  Church  is  surfeited  with  talk 
and  speculation  and  advice.  What  it  needs  is 
examples,  experiments,  laboratories,  demonstra- 
tions. Or  rather  it  needs  ropes  and  pulley-blocks, 
pick-axes  and  shovels.  Christianity  is  not  some- 
thing apart  to  be  housed  in  universities  and 
assembling  of  saints.  It  is  to  be  classed  among 
the  industrial  plants.  It  is  productive  like  the 
soil.  Its  place  is  in  the  home,  on  the  street,  in 
the  office,  in  the  shop,  for  a  distinctive  feature 
of  it  is  the  word  made  flesh. 

This  practical  consideration  of  the  word  made 
flesh  needs  to  be  completed  of  course  by  a  consider- 
ation which  has  a  further  reach. 


CHAPTER  VI     ' 

THE  DIVINE  INCARNATION 


THE  final  aim  of  art  is  to  reveal  the  attractive- 
ness of  personality.  Art  makes  visible  the 
spirit  of  the  artist. 

When  a  little  whirl  of  wind  gathers  together  dust 
and  leaves  and  lifts  them  into  a  fitful  column, 
the  leaves  and  dust  express  the  motion  of  the  air, 
which  would  otherwise  be  unobserved.  The 
clouds  streaking  the  sky  or  piled  in  thick  masses 
are  incarnations  of  movements  which  would  else 
be  unnoticed. 

The  purpose  of  art  is  to  make  visible  that  most 
evanescent  of  forces,  the  human.  What  the  dust 
and  leaves  do  for  the  whirl  of  wind,  what  the 
clouds  do  for  the  movements  and  temperature  of 
the  air,  productions  of  art  do  for  the  human 
spirit. 

The  colors  and  lines  on  a  canvas,  the  form  of  the 
marble  or  bronze,  the  harmonies  in  music,  the 
rhythm  and  imagination  in  poetry  are  artistic 
in  so  far  as  they  bring  to  view  that  most  wonder- 

56 


The  Divine  Incarnation  57 

ful  of  nature's  products,  the  soul  of  the  artist,  the 
soul  beautiful. 

The  painting  of  a  cluster  of  roses  is  more  beauti- 
ful artistically  than  the  roses  themselves.  This 
is  not  because  the  colors  from  the  palette  can 
hope  to  vie  with  nature's  tints,  not  because  the 
painted  textures  can  hope  to  compete  with  the 
softness  of  the  real  petals  or  with  the  delicacy  of 
the  real  leaves,  but  because  in  the  painting  we 
have  a  picture,  not  so  much  of  the  roses,  as  a 
picture  of  the  person  who  painted  them.  It  is 
not  a  photographer's  likeness;  it  is  a  picture  of  the 
inner  person. 

Artistically  the  picture  is  important  because  it 
shows  us  the  trained  hand  of  the  painter,  his  truth- 
ful mind,  his  perseverance  in  learning,  his  sym- 
pathy with  beauty,  his  love  of  production. 

The  still  life  depicted  by  the  brush  depicts  also 
the  active  life  of  the  artist  himself.  It  is  a  window 
opening  into  the  attractive  mind  of  him  who 
handled  the  brush. 


A  painter's  success  is  not  in  his  reproducing 
nature  but  in  his  successful  portrayal  of  his  own 
personality. 

Many  go  into  a  museum  of  art  and  wonder  why 
some  insignificant  looking  things  are  accounted 
masterpieces  while  other  striking  and  suggestive 


58  The  Unexplored  Self 

paintings  are  ranked  low  in  the  scale.  It  makes 
one  who  is  sensitive  as  to  revealing  his  ignorance, 
meek  and  dumb  when  the  art  expert  spurns  inter- 
esting canvases  and  pauses  to  wax  eloquent  over 
some  stupid  landscape.  The  difference  in  apprecia- 
tion is  not  due  so  much  to  difference  of  tastes  as 
to  knowledge  of  the  further  things  for  which  the 
painting  stands. 

As  a  novice  I  go  into  an  art  gallery  and  see  only 
the  representations  of  meadows,  of  objects,  of 
events.  It  requires  some  familiarity  with  art 
methods  and  with  art  history  to  see  in  the  paintings 
the  pictures  of  the  minds  and  hearts  of  those  who 
produced  the  works. 

One  who  realizes  that  he  is  looking  not  so  much 
at  the  figure  of  a  man,  hung  upon  the  wall,  as  at 
the  sympathetic  personality  of  the  creator  of  the 
work  judges  from  a  wholly  different  standpoint. 
He  is  able  to  overlook  bad  grouping  and  crude 
drawing  if  he  knows  that  he  is  face  to  face  with 
the  soul  of  one  who  is,  nevertheless,  sincere  and 
noble. 

Many  of  the  old  masterpieces  do  indeed  look 
grotesque  compared  with  the  productions  of  even 
inferior  modern  painters.  Yet  he  who  understands 
the  history  of  art,  and  the  difficulties  of  training 
which  were  overcome,  sees  the  artistic  superiority. 

A  painter  then  not  merely  reduplicates  a  scene 
but  he  gives  a  view  of  the  stretches  of  scenery 
inside  of  his  own  mind.     The  outward  vista  we 


The  Divine  Incarnation  59 

can  see  for  ourselves;  his  painting  will  give  us  a 
more  wonderful  inward  vista  which  would  else 
be  to  us  invisible.  His  medium  may  be  marble, 
or  colors  on  canvas,  or  words,  or  music.  What 
makes  him  an  artist  is  his  success  in  expressing 
his  best  self  through  that  medium. 

There  is  put  upon  the  canvas  a  bit  of  the  spirit 
world.  The  sculptor  brings  out  of  the  stone  a 
replica  of  his  own  penetration  and  ideals.  The 
poet  allows  a  look  into  his  own  soul. 


This  distinction  between  artistic  and  natural 
beauty  is  of  great  importance  of  course  for  an 
understanding  of  art.  It  becomes  of  humanita- 
rian interest  when  it  is  realized  that  one  can  use 
among  the  varying  mediums  for  expressing  his 
personality,  that  most  wonderful  medium  of  all, 
the  human  character. 

This  medium  has  a  great  fixity  of  its  own  and 
is  at  the  same  time  strangely  plastic.  What  I 
mean  is  that  just  as  marble  may  be  used  to  express 
some  of  the  ideal  that  is  in  the  artist's  mind,  so 
human  character  may  be  shaped  by  some  great 
leader  of  men  according  to  forms  of  his  own  visions, 
and  a  series  of  generations  may  have  painted  upon 
them  the  personality  of  a  Napoleon,  of  a  Luther, 
or  of  a  Saint  Francis. 

So  a  teacher  in  a  school  may  be  regarded  as  a 
painter  and  the  class  will  be  a  canvas  stretched 


60  The  Unexplored  Self 

before  him.  He  does  not  take  facts  from  a  book 
and  transfer  them  into  the  minds  of  the  pupils. 
He  does  not  so  much  draw  out  the  latent  person- 
alities of  the  scholars.  If  we  regard  the  teacher  as 
a  sculptor,  the  lessons  will  be  the  chisel  and  mallet 
to  hew  and  sculpt  the  personalities  of  the  scholars 
somewhat  into  the  ideals  that  constitute  his  own 
mind,  or  the  ideals  of  other  teachers.  At  the 
end  of  a  year  he  should  not  be  surprised  to  see 
the  shapes  of  these  ideals  visible  in  the  characters 
of  the  class.  And  others  also,  in  seeing  the 
changed  characters  of  the  pupils,  should  obtain  a 
view  of  some  phases  of  the  teacher's  personality, 
his  outlook,  his  vigor,  his  hope,  his  sincerity,  his 
sympathy. 

A  great  educator  is  to  be  classed  among  the 
Michael  Angelos,  the  Raphaels,  the  Beethovens, 
whose  personalities  are  to  be  found  not  only  in 
their  own  productions  but  also  in  the  succession 
of  sculptors,  painters,  and  musicians  who  have 
been  influenced  by  them. 

There  is  no  medium  that  is  more  worth  working 
with,  more  capable  of  variety,  more  adequate  to 
express  the  creative  soul,  the  soul  of  a  master, 
than  human  nature  itself. 


We  have  come  rather  a  long  way  about  to  reach 
the  Christian  bearing  of  our  subject,  but  when  it 
is  thoroughly  understood   that  the  essential  self 


The  Divine  Incarnation  61 

of  the  artist  is  to  be  seen  in  the  statues  which  he 
has  created,  the  right  approach  has  been  gained 
for  discovering  the  true  personality  of  Christ,  for 
appreciating  his  method  of  self-expression,  and 
for  understanding  the  method  of  Christianity. 
Christ  incarnated  the  Spirit  of  God  and  was  him- 
self the  master  Sculptor  of  Souls. 

The  Gospel  was  a  personal  influence  and  not  a 
system  of  learning.  The  technique  of  Christianity 
is  of  touch  to  mould,  not  of  precept  to  point. 

Christ  depended  on  his  words  to  do  his  work 
just  as  little  as  a  painter  depends  upon  his  art 
lectures  to  express  his  ideas  of  beauty.  The 
artist  knows  how  much  more  effective  a  medium 
is  to  be  found  in  colors  and  canvas. 

The  poetic  impulse  is  imparted  by  the  inspiration 
of  poetic  ideals  and  not  by  instruction  in  scansion. 
So  Christ  depended  on  the  transformed  lives  of 
his  disciples  to  continue  his  own  incarnation  of  the 
divine.  As  he  was  the  purpose  of  the  world  made 
flesh,  so  his  medium  was  men  and  women — men 
and  women  whom  through  contact  and  not 
through  maxims  he  made  over  to  conform  to  the 
purpose  of  life. 

This  brings  us  to  the  secret  of  Christian  propa- 
ganda. God  is  revealed  not  in  lectures  but  in 
lives.  The  disciples  are  an  exhibit  from  the 
workshop,  from  the  atelier  of  the  master. 

Compared  with  such  an  exhibit  pages  of  de- 
scription or  of  teaching  are  little  significant.  Those 


62  The  Unexplored  Self 

who  looked  were  able  to  see  not  merely  Peter  and 
John  but  the  spirit  of  Jesus  which  had  made  Peter 
and  John  into  new  creatures,  in  his  own  likeness, 
far  more  different  from  the  original  Peter  and  John 
than  the  statue  is  from  the  original  rough  marble. 
We  are  told  that  men  took  note  of  Peter  and 
John  that  they  had  been  with  Christ;  they  saw 
that  they  had  been  conformed  to  the  image  of 
him  who  dwelt  in  them,  who  called  himself  in 
turn  the  son  of  God,  whose  aim  was  to  be  in  his 
disciples  as  his  father  was  in  him. 


It  is  this  secret  of  personality  which  marks  the 
distinction  of  the  Christian  system  and  makes 
faith  in  Christ  more  regenerative  than  acceptance 
of  his  moral  teachings.  It  makes  love  to  Christ 
the  first  step  in  the  new  life. 

It  makes  the  matter  of  the  divine  incarnation 
primary.  It  validates  the  idea  of  the  new  Adam, 
for  Christ  became  the  spiritual  progenitor  as 
Adam  had  been  the  physical. 

It  justifies  the  question:  Have  I  been  so 
long  with  you  and  yet  how  sayest  thou,  show 
us  the  father?  The  disciples  caught  the  idea  and 
used  it,  as  the  quotations  above  show,  and  this 
may  account  in  part  for  their  great  success  as 
compared  with  our  slight  success.  They  did  not 
preach  Christianity,  but  they  presented  Christ. 


The  Divine  Incarnation  63 

They  presented  him,  and  here  is  the  point,  in  their 
own  changed  lives,  for  men  took  note  of  them 
that  they  had  been  with  Christ. 

Men  began  to  realize,  not  through  hearsay, 
but  through  the  quickened  pulse  that  ran  through 
their  own  veins,  that  it  was  open  to  them  to  bear 
the  image  of  the  heavenly. 


Any  one  who  has  only  read  the  New  Testament 
description  of  Christ  has  yet  to  learn  of  him  along 
the  approach  which  gives  the  deeper  insight. 
The  master  is  little  revealed  in  his  biography. 
He  is  more  fully  revealed  in  his  works,  in  his 
productions;  and  the  largest  source  for  external 
information  about  Christ  is  to  be  found  in  the 
history  which  his  inspiration  has  produced. 

Christ  is  to  be  studied  in  detail  in  the  personali- 
ties that  express  his  spirit,  for  whom  his  flesh 
has  been  food  and  his  blood  drink. 

As  the  Christ  of  service  and  love  reveals  the  di- 
vine spirit  and  purpose,  so  it  is  the  best  in  Chris- 
tendom that  completes  the  revelation  of  the  Christ 
of  Palestine.  It  is  therefore  the  Christ  of  the 
world's  experience  and  of  the  individual  experience 
even  more  than  the  Jesus  of  the  four  Gospels  that 
portrays  the  image  of  the  heavenly. 

When  the  argument  of  Christianity  is,  Take  note 
of  these  men  that  they  are  living  the  best  purpose 
in  life,  then  will  Christ  re-enter  upon  his  work. 


64  The  Unexplored  Self 

There  are  too  many  lectures  on  art.  There  is 
needed  faithful  copying  .of  the  masterpieces  under 
the  thrill  of  the  genius  of  the  master. 

We  said  that  history  was  the  largest  source  for 
external  information  as  to  the  personality  of 
Christ.  There  is,  of  course,  the  reproduction  of 
a  master  in  the  pupil's  own  growth  and  likings, 
in  his  own  development,  and  this  is  for  him,  of  all 
sources  of  insight  into  the  master's  spirit,  the  most 
immediate. 

A  man  may  shut  his  eyes  and  separated  from 
the  world  of  sight  wander  about  in  a  world  of 
thought  and  ideas.  As  he  goes  here  and  there 
he  finds  centres  that  are  sensuous  and  bestial,  he 
finds  centres  that  are  lazy  and  careless,  he  finds 
centres  that  are  playful  and  centres  that  are  serious. 
In  every  such  microcosm  there  is  a  centre  that 
corresponds  to  the  spirit  of  Christ.  It  may  be 
rarely  encountered,  but  every  man,  ruffian  and 
debauchee  even,  has  such  a  centre.  We  have 
already  referred  to  this  in  a  previous  chapter. 

The  Christian  teaching  is  that  that  centre  is 
the  truest  self  and  is  at  the  same  time  the  God 
nature  in  the  man.  In  this  way  the  Christ  pattern 
shows  the  man  his  own  self,  and  shows  him  God. 
The  Christ  of  history  is  necessary,  for  without 
him  the  Christ  of  experience  would  not  be  called 
to  the  attention;  but  inversely  the  Christ  of 
experience  gives  an  immediate  insight  into  the 
Christ  of  history  and  enables  the  fact    of    the 


The  Divine  Incarnation  65 

divine   incarnation    to    be    a    matter    of    direct 
knowledge. 

A  man  therefore  sees,  at  the  same  time,  God, 
himself,  and  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  these  three 
are  one. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  LIVING  CHRIST 


THE  title  of  the  last  book  in  the  Bible  is  usually 
understood  to  mean  a  disclosure.  The 
Book  of  Revelation,  of  Disclosure — the  title  is 
like  a  herald's  trumpet,  preparing  for  approaching 
information.  It  commands  attention  like  the 
Oyez,  Oyez, — Hear  ye,  Hear  ye,  of  an  opening 
tribunal.  A  disclosure  is  always  attractive.  The 
town-crier  always  has  an  audience.  The  news- 
paper with  promising  headlines  does  not  fail  to 
find  buyers  in  plenty.  Above  all,  men  wish  to 
know  things  to  come,  secrets  of  the  future. 

Most  people  therefore,  understanding  the  title 
of  the  last  book  in  the  Bible  in  this  sense,  are 
disappointed  in  what  they  find.  They  discover 
good  counsel,  bejewelled  verses,  charming  and 
comforting  sections,  but  they  feel  that  there  has 
been  no  actual  revelation  such  as  the  title  had  led 
them  to  expect.  The  book  seems  to  be  not  en- 
tirely reliable  as  a  horoscope  of  the  future. 

We  all  expect  right  to  triumph,   grief  to  be 

66 


The  Living  Christ  67 

assuaged,  and  evil  to  be  overthrown.  But  men 
are  inclined  to  question  whether  the  final  form  of 
this  consummation  becomes  clearer  to  them  from 
reading  the  book.  The  pictures  are  more  fanciful 
than  accurate.  In  looking  through  the  chapters 
for  a  disclosure  of  the  things  that  are  to  occur,  they 
find  more  to  bewilder  than  to  enlighten.  The 
imagery  and  symbolism  are  not  only  crude  but  con- 
fusing. In  quick  succession  the  scenes  are  changed 
until  every  element  of  consistency  or  harmony  is 
destroyed.  As  soon  as  men  attempt  a  rational 
interpretation  of  the  words  in  any  direction,  the 
reasoning  is  balked  and  they  give  up  the  expecta- 
tion of  finding  a  unity  or  a  message  in  the  book  as 
a  whole.  It  appears  to  be  made  up  of  short  sec- 
tions of  inspiration  and  ecstasy  strangely  inter- 
mixed with  allusions  that  may  have  been  valuable 
once  but  are  valueless  to-day. 

To  obtain  a  meaning  from  the  book  as  a  whole 
seems  to  be  a  hopeless  if  not  a  spendthrift  under- 
taking. Some  one  has  said  that  the  book,  if  it  did 
not  find  one  crazy,  left  him  so.  Save  in  detached 
sections,  the  book  seems  to  disclose  little  that  is 
available  for  modern  purposes.  Men  are  satisfied 
to  read  enough  to  appease  their  curiosity  and  they 
pass  over  the  expectation  of  revelation  to  dabblers 
in  the  occult. 

It  is  the  dabblers  in  the  occult  who  almost  alone 
to-day  take  the  book  as  a  whole  seriously.  The 
strange  and  even  mischievous  uses  that  have  been 
made  of  its  prophecies  are  among  the  curiosities  of 


68  The  Unexplored  Self 

abnormal  psychology.  The  variety  and  ingenu- 
ity of  the  interpretations  are  without  parallel  in 
the  history  of  religious  insanity.  There  have 
never  been  wanting  minds  that  could  wriggle 
millenniums  out  of  times,  a  time  and  half  a  time, 
or  out  of  a  repetitious  digit. 

The  discovery  in  the  last  few  years  of  several 
strikingly  similar  disclosures  which  are  purely 
Jewish  political  writings,  like  the  Assumption  of 
Moses  or  the  Book  of  Enoch,  has  contributed  to 
the  lessened  valuation.  The  Roman  martyr 
period  is  past.  The  emperor-worship  is  only  of 
historical  interest.  Rome  is  no  longer  the  centre 
of  the  world.  In  the  descriptions,  there  is,  there- 
fore, it  is  thought,  no  relevancy  that  need  be 
reckoned  with  to-day. 


It  is  in  part  because  of  this  general  feeling  that  I 
would  draw  attention  to  the  opening  words  of  the 
book,  and  call  our  subject,  The  Living  Christ. 
The  spirit  of  the  book  is  essential  to  a  proper 
understanding  of  Christianity. 

We  have  been  long  familiar  with  the  presenta- 
tions of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John.  Here, 
there  is,  however,  given,  as  complementary  to 
them,  this  fifth  presentation.  The  opening  words 
may  be  translated  as  the  Revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Disclosure  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  the 
Manifestation  of  Jesus  Christ.     In  whatever  way 


The  Living  Christ  69 

the  words  be  taken,  they  indicate  the  purpose 
of  the  book  to  be  an  account  of  Christ,  and  by 
reading  on  we  find  it  to  be  an  account  of  Christ 
in  relation  to  world  movements. 

The  title,  it  is  true,  says,  the  Revelation  of  John. 
But  the  title,  like  all  the  titles  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, was  added  long  afterward,  and  in  this  case 
has  unintentionally  made  men  mistake  the  pur- 
pose of  the  writing.  It  is  a  revelation  of  Christ 
and  this  is  the  fact  which  gives  the  permanent 
value  to  the  book  as  a  whole.  The  important 
thing,  therefore,  is  not  the  account  of  contempo- 
rary cruelties  or  of  judgment-day  events,  but  the 
new  view  of  Christ  and  Christianity  that  is  made 
possible  upon  the  background  of  world-embracing 
occurrences. 

The  pictures  of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John 
are  painted  upon  simple  canvas.  The  panoramas 
in  the  Revelation  are  as  if  the  artist  had  taken 
some  great  crag  and  with  an  enormous  brush  had 
sketched  upon  it  the  heroic  labors  of  a  demi-god, 
utilizing  the  natural  cracks  and  colors  to  supple- 
ment his  own  art. 

The  first  four  Gospels  give  a  life  of  the  Christ  of 
Palestine.  This  Fifth  Gospel  gives  Christ's  career 
upon  the  background  of  clashing  arms  and  shout- 
ing hosts.  It  is  the  Christ  of  the  four  ends  of  the 
earth;  the  Christ  of  the  militant  kingdom  and  of 
the  kingdom  of  peace;  the  Christ  of  pestilence 
and  disaster,  of  health  and  blessedness. 

The  result  is,  in  a  way,  a  more  prophetic  picture 


70  The  Unexplored  Self 

than  that  of  the  four  earlier  Gospels.  It  is  a 
picture  of  the  Christ  warring  with  the  powers  of 
evil  and  supported  by  the  powers  of  good.  It  is 
the  Christ  of  Christian  history  and  of  soul  experi- 
ence, the  one  known  to  every  man  personally 
and  at  first  hand.  The  writer  seized  upon  the 
strangely  vigorous  apocalyptic  material  and  used 
it  to  present  a  culminating  idea  of  the  Christ. 
Here  the  movements  are  not  along  highways  and 
streets  but  unlocalized  in  the  indefinite  and  vast 
ranges  of  the  mind,  among  the  timeless  stars  and  on 
unlimited  stretches  of  mountain  and  plain.  Even 
when  we  think  of  the  conflict  as  going  on  within  a 
particular  soul,  it  is  in  the  soul  in  its  eternal 
relations,  with  the  firmament  above  and  the  abyss 
below,  where  the  beginnings  and  the  endings 
seem  side  by  side. 

If  one  could  take  a  lantern  slide  and,  with  a 
powerful  enough  light,  throw  a  picture  upon  the 
clouds,  and  if  he  could  add  the  ability  to  dispose 
the  clouds  so  that  they  should  heighten  the  effect, 
he  would  begin  to  understand  the  manner  of  the 
Fifth  Gospel. 

It  is  as  if  a  sculptor,  instead  of  taking  plain  mar- 
ble for  his  ideal  portrait,  should  take  the  gnarled 
oak  and  skilfully  adapt  the  markings  of  the  wood 
to  blend  and  co-operate  with  his  own  conception. 
The  sculptor  would  be  sadly  disappointed  were 
we  to  approach  his  result  with  a  magnifying-glass 
to  count  the  rings  and  to  study  the  knots  and  the 
turns  and  so  miss  the  purpose  of  his  work. 


The  Living  Christ  71 

The  warfare,  the  prodigies,  the  emperors,  the 
cities,  are  a  necessary  part  of  the  work  but  not  by 
themselves.  There  is  no  harm  in  trying  to  trace 
the  symbolism  of  the  portents,  but  for  the  Chris- 
tian, the  principal  thing  is  the  enlarged  picture  of 
Christ  that  appears  —  the  picture,  not  as  some 
have  thought,  of  the  glorified  Christ,  or  of  the 
ascended  Christ,  or  of  the  end  of  the  world,  but 
a  picture  of  the  Christ  of  history,  the  Christ  of 
to-day.  The  portrait  is  as  necessary  as  it  is  true. 
It  is  the  completion  of  the  portrait  of  the  Christ  of 
Palestine. 

On  the  cross  his  kingship  was  written  in  Hebrew 
and  in  Latin  and  in  Greek.  The  sign  thus  already 
pointed  to  the  larger  world  in  which  the  Fifth 
Gospel  shows  him  working  among  the  nations  and 
in  the  soul  struggles. 


There  are  many  respects  in  which  the  Revela- 
tion might  be  regarded  as  an  expression  of  the 
great  thought  contained  in  Prometheus  Unbound. 
It  is  the  inspired  narrative  of  the  Christ  Unbound, 
the  Christ  after  the  irons  that  bound  his  arms  had 
been  removed,  in  his  conflict  with  the  oppressor  of 
mankind  and  in  his  final  victory.  As  a  Shelley 
took  the  background  of  a  Greek  religion  on  which 
to  portray  his  message  of  the  grandeur  of  the 
typical  man,  so  the  inspired  Christian  writer  used 
the  background  of  Jewish  religion  to  portray  the 


72  The  Unexplored  Self 

grandeur  of  the  son  of  man,  the  Lamb 'slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  the  Saviour  of  men  in 
unremitting  opposition  to  evil,  and  the  constantly 
recurring  victory  when  one  among  the  wingless 
crawling  hours  has  dragged  the  ancient  serpent 
forth  to  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. 

I  have  been  interested  in  tracing  the  places 
where  Shelley,  in  his  Prometheus  Unbound,  has 
been  influenced  by  the  Biblical  narration  of  the 
Christ  Unbound,  the  Released,  the  Unfettered. 
The  background  is  not  that  of  Greek  religion  but 
Christian.  The  hero  has  much  of  Christ  and  little 
of  Prometheus. 

In  the  suffering  of  the  Titanic  champion  of 
humanity  nailed  to  the  cliff  we  may  see  parallelisms 
to  the  crucifixion  again  and  again.  In  Shelley  it 
is  the  demi-gorgon  who,  with  no  help  from  Prome- 
theus, finally  overthrows  the  adversary  of  man, 
and  even  here  the  conflict  is  a  short  and  one-sided 
one.  Revelation  is  much  truer  both  in  respect 
to  the  continued  leadership  of  Christ  and  also 
in  respect  to  the  severity  and  continuance  of  the 
warfare. 

Those  who  have  fought  with  clenched  fists 
against  temptation,  those  who  have  wrestled  with 
weakness,  those  who  have  been  harrowed  by 
anxiety,  those  who  have  stood  valiant  in  the  bat- 
tles against  corruption,  they  all  know  that  the 
extravagant  fantasies  of  a  Jewish  apocalypse 
become  sober  reality  when  used  as  a  background 
for  the  Christian  warfare. 


The  Living  Christ  73 

The  technique  of  the  Revelation  is  certainly 
strange.  It  is  one  of  the  first  principles  of  inter- 
pretation, however,  that  strange  technique  is  not 
to  distract  one  from  seeing  the  essential  power  and 
nobility  of  a  production.  Had  the  author  been 
writing  to-day  he  might  possibly  have  regarded 
structure  more.  He  might  possibly  have  substi- 
tuted the  crashing  of  banks  for  the  earthquakes, 
financial  panics  for  the  battles,  newspaper  extras 
for  the  trumpet  proclamations,  but  the  representa- 
tion of  the  Christ  Unbound  would  have  remained, 
in  its  essentials,  unaltered. 


In  order  adequately  to  exhibit  the  Christ  of  the 
four  ends  of  the  earth,  requisition  is  made  upon  all 
that  is  wonderful  and  potent. 

On  the  one  hand  we  have  the  sharp  two-edged 
sword,  the  keys  of  death  and  hell,  lightnings  and 
thunders,  hail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood,  rivers 
and  floods,  beasts  and  monsters,  the  blackened 
sun,  the  stars  cast  like  unripe  figs,  the  heavens 
rolled  up  as  a  scroll,  mountains  torn  from  their 
anchorages,  the  opened  pit  of  the  abyss,  the  smoke 
darkening  the  air  and  producing  locusts  as  scor- 
pions. We  have  the  plagues  and  torments,  the 
pain  of  travail  and  the  agony  of  scorching  heat, 
the  sickle  of  disease  and  the  wine-press  of  blood, 
drought  and  overthrow.  We  have  all  the  engin- 
ery of  war,  the  terrors  by  day  and  the  horrors  by 


74  The  Unexplored  Self 

night,  the  mystery  of  the  stars  and  the  stillness  of 
heavenly  silence, 

On  the  other  hand  we  have  the  metals  gleaming 
as  though  in  a  furnace,  the  sea  of  glass  like  unto 
crystal,  the  sun  shining  in  his  strength,  the  sound 
of  many  rushing  waters,  the  whiteness  of  snow,  the 
flames  of  fire,  rainbows  and  all  the  radiant  jewels, 
the  white  stone  with  the  inly  locked  secret  of  the 
new  name,  the  tree  of  life,  and  the  diadems  of  suc- 
cess. We  have  the  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
host,  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  and  thou- 
sands of  thousands,  music  and  singing,  shouts  and 
hallelujahs,  songs  and  choruses,  feasts  and  rejoic- 
ings, glory  and  praise,  ecstasy  and  joy.  Thus  is 
heaven  and  earth  exhausted,  almost,  in  the  effort 
to  describe  the  wider  bearings  of  the  great  brother's 
life. 

To  one  who  comes  to  the  book  with  the  right 
clue,  the  imagery  is  entirely  in  keeping  with  the 
sublimity  of  the  conception  to  be  imparted.  The 
book  takes  its  place  again  as  a  vision  of  present- 
day  happenings.  The  vision  is  neither  of  things 
past  nor  of  future  things.  It  is  of  the  eternal 
present.  The  Babylon  of  the  vision,  perhaps  in 
the  Jewish  sense  representing  Rome,  is  neither 
Rome  nor  the  city  of  the  Euphrates.  It  is  any 
centre  of  rebellion  against  right.  It  is  the  sin  in 
London,  in  Paris,  or  in  New  York.  The  beast 
with  the  seven  heads  and  the  ten  horns  is  no  longer 
a  line  of  Roman  Caesars;  he  represents  the  un- 
scrupulous man  of  power,  whether  he  be  king  or 


The  Living  Christ  75 

politician,  millionaire  or  demagogue.  The  Christ 
is  the  immanent  Christ  and  in  a  wonderful  way 
blends  the  human  and  the  divine,  now  appearing 
as  the  sole  ruler,  himself  the  king  of  kings  and 
lord  of  lords,  now  as  the  infant  child  of  a  woman. 
Through  it  all  the  figure  of  the  Lamb  retains  the 
essential  character  of  service  and  sacrifice. 

The  inspiration  of  such  exalted  imagery  is 
requisite  to  a  just  understanding  of  the  uplifting 
work  of  Christianity.  The  four  Gospels  would  be 
incomplete  without  this  fifth.  The  portrayal  of 
the  Christ  of  the  world  at  large  is  a  necessary 
sequel  of  the  pictures  of  him  in  and  about  Jeru- 
salem. The  three  years  and  a  half  in  the  basin  of 
the  Jordan  is  but  one  chapter  in  a  much  larger 
volume.  This  final  revelation  is  the  only  fitting 
close  to  the  Bible.  It  opens  the  Book  of  the 
World.  It  translates  Christ  into  the  vocabulary 
of  the  larger  efforts,  the  race  problems,  the  social 
developments,  and  the  individual  perplexities. 
We  obtain  a  new  idea  of  the  impression  which  the 
divine  man  left  behind  him,  a  new  idea  of  the  full 
extent  to  which  his  disciples  grasped  his  meaning, 
because  such  a  background  as  is  furnished  by  this 
book  alone  was  for  them  sufficient  to  do  justice  to 
the  work  which  he  was  still  performing. 

No  one  has  understood  the  Christ  of  Galilee 
until  he  has  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  Revela- 
tion; no  one  has  understood  human  life,  this 
commonplace  life,  this  humdrum  routine,  no  one 
has   understood   himself   or   understood   society, 


76  The  Unexplored  Self 

until  he  has  been  able  to  translate  it  into  the  spirit 
of  the  Book  of  Revelation,  the  Fifth  Gospel;  and 
no  one  can  understand  the  modern  trend  of  things 
till  he  has  seen  the  exaltation  and  victory  of  self- 
sacrifice. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SELF-GIVING 


THAT  Paul's  preaching  was  effective  there 
can  be  no  doubt,  and  he  said  that  the 
sum  and  substance  of  his  preaching  was  Christ 
crucified. 

For  this  reason  alone,  if  for  no  other,  it  is  well  for 
present-day  Christianity  to  think  very  carefully 
and  seriously  about  the  power  that  is  in  a  cruci- 
fix, about  the  cross  itself  that  is  the  symbol  of 
Christendom. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  asserted  that  if  the 
value  of  the  individual  man  is  the  essence  of 
Christianity,  the  cross  is  its  centre  because  the 
cross  points  the  direction  of  the  value  in  a  man's 
effort. 

Different  men  whom  the  world  honors  are  hon- 
ored for  the  valuable  gifts  which  they  have  made. 
Some  have  given  discoveries,  others  literature, 
others  ideas. 

Among  all  such  names,  Christianity  ascribes  a 
77 


78  The  Unexplored  Self 

uniquely  supreme  place  to  Christ.  It  is  but 
natural  to  ask  whether  this  be  due  to  zealotry  or 
to  custom,  or,  if  to  neither  of  these,  to  ask  what 
gift  to  humanity  can  warrant  so  lofty  and  so 
unique  a  place. 

Christ  is  not  unapproached  in  his  teaching,  nor 
in  his  theology,  nor  in  his  example.  Other 
teachers,  other  theologians,  other  martyrs  have  a 
right  to  be  put  at  least  into  the  same  class. 

The  distinct  feature  of  Christ's  gift  to  the  world 
was  that  he  gave  himself.  This  statement,  how- 
ever, needs  to  be  understood. 

Others  have  suffered  agonies,  perhaps  as  poig- 
nant as  his,  for  their  faith.  We  cannot  accept 
the  traditional  view  that  his  suffering  was  infinite, 
more  than  equal  to  all  the  suffering  of  human- 
ity. One  is  almost  ashamed  to  mention  such  a 
view.  Many  names  may  be  brought  forward 
where  heroism  and  glad  self-sacrifice  in  behalf  of 
humanity  have  been  somewhat  on  a  par  with  the 
crucifixion. 

If  we  make  the  distinction  that,  while  these 
other  men  gave  their  lives  to  humanity,  he  gave 
himself,  still  the  peculiar  reason  for  singling  out 
Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  the  world — the  Saviour 
not  from  punishment  but  to  a  nobler  plane  of 
life — the  peculiar  reason  is  not  yet  clear. 

Therefore  is  suggested  in  answer  to  the  question 
as  to  Christ's  gift,  the  rather  cumbersome  phrase: 
he  gave  the  gift  of  himself. 


Self-Giving  79 


That  which  was  unique  in  the  crucifixion  was 
that  Christ  gave  the  gift  of  himself. 

This  statement  is  not  a  quibble.  Others  have 
died  to  give  life  to  men,  to  give  freedom,  to  give 
discoveries.  Socrates,  so  often  mentioned,  drank 
the  poison  hemlock  to  give  men  love  for  the  truth 
and  respect  for  the  state.  Stephen  died  and  gave 
a  man's  completest  testimony  to  his  loyalty.  In 
a  certain  sense  these  are  gifts  of  the  self. 

But  when  Christ  gave  himself  he  consciously 
and  purposely  made  the  gift  the  expression  of  his 
message.  He  was  incarnating  his  view  of  life  in 
the  moment  of  his  death. 

His  preaching  and  example  had  been  of  love,  of 
outpouring ;  and  men  had  not  understood.  They 
had  been  drawn  to  the  messenger  but  had  over- 
looked the  message. 

He  had  said  whosoever  shall  seek  to  save  his 
life  shall  lose  it  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life 
shall  save  it  and  they  had  been  confused  by  the 
paradox. 

Then  he  deliberately,  though  realizing  all  that 
it  would  mean  of  suffering,  put  his  message  into  a 
final  act  and  men's  eyes  began  to  open  to  his  new 
definition  of  success  and  of  life. 

His  whole  career  had  been  a  lavish  giving  of  self. 
That  gift  he  had  tried  to  explain  as  the  highest 
achievement.     He  had  tried  to  reveal   that   as 


80  The  Unexplored.  Self 

God's  own  character.  The  idea  was  so  revolu- 
tionary that  men  would  not  grasp  it.  The  cross 
came,  then,  £s  .the  necessary  climax  and  summary 
of  his  whole  life. 


It  will  be  remembered  that  at  the  very  last,  John 
and  James,  the  farthest  advanced  of  his  disciples, 
were  seeking  through  their  mother  to  obtain  th$ 
best  places  in  the  new  kingdom.  Even  they  had* 
as  yet,  no  inkling  of  the  Gospel. 

The  course  which  Christ  took  to  force  an  under- 
standing would  be  called  in  military  tactics  the 
Forlorn  Hope.  It  was  the  last  chance  and  a 
desperate  one.  After  full  debate  with  himself, 
he  voluntarily  chose  death  as  the  means  of  self- 
revelation. 

The  issue  has  abundantly  justified  his  faith  in 
humanity.  At  first  there  was  consternation  and 
despair,  but  little  by  little  light  began  to  shine. 
The  cross  began  to  be  for  the  world  the  emblem  of 
self -giving,  the  inspiration  for  effort,  and  the  reve- 
lation of  the  divine  nature. 

We  said  that  it  gave  a  new  definition  of  success 
and  of  life.  Sociology  is  beginning  to  accept  this 
new  definition  of  success  and  grants  that  suc- 
cess is  not  in  great  accumulation  but  in  great 
impart  ation. 

And  how  about  the  Christian  definition  of  life? 


Self-Giving  81 

Is  this  in  line  with  science?  The  older  conclusion 
of  science  that  life  is  where  the  building-up  process 
surpasses  the  tearing-down  is  insufficient  and  mis- 
leading. A  careful  inquiry  will  show  that  when 
life  is  present  the  outgo  exceeds  the  income.  The 
worm  receives  earth  and  produces  cells  and  organs. 
The  plant  receives  elements  and  gives  fragrance  and 
form.    The  brain  receives  blood  and  excretes  ideas. 

There  is  here  no  offer  of  theories,  and  explana- 
tions must,  of  course,  be  left  with  those  who  make 
the  study  of  biology  a  profession.  To  say,  how- 
ever, that  living  things  are  alive  because  in  them, 
from  the  protozoan  increasingly  to  history's  giants, 
more  is  given  than  is  received  is  a  mere  recital  of 
fact.  It  opposes  no  principle  of  science  though 
it  may  call  for  a  new  one. 

Facts  show  that  as  soon  as  life  is  present  reaction 
no  longer  equals  physical  action  but  overbalances 
it ;  and  that  the  more  the  gift  surpasses  the  receipt 
the  more  life  is  there.  It  is  humbly  suggested  to 
science  that  the  nature  of  life  be  studied  in  its 
completest  form  rather  than  in  its  obscurest 
appearances. 

This  brings  us  back  to  what  may  be  taken  as  the 
slogan  of  the  good  tidings:  whoever  will  lose  his 
life  for  the  sake  of  Christ's  spirit  shall  save  his  life. 


In  Genesis  it  is  narrated  that  when  Adam  and 
Eve  were  driven  from  the  Garden  of  Eden,  an 


82  The  Unexplored  Self 

angel  with  flaming  sword,  that  is,  the  angel  of 
death,  kept  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life.  Through 
death  was  the  way  to  the  Paradise  of  God. 

From  the  Christian  standpoint  the  narrative 
becomes  a  parable  of  the  Atonement.  An  artist 
might  properly  paint  the  cherubim  at  the  gateway 
of  Heaven  in  the  form  of  a  great  flaming  crucifix, 
life  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  life  gained. 

Such  a  painting  would  be  in  line  with  the 
apostles'  idea  that  Christ  was  the  spiritual  Adam, 
differing  in  this  from  the  first  Adam,  that 
while  the  latter  led  humanity  out  from  the 
presence  of  God,  he  brought  humanity  back 
to  God. 

Perhaps  it  was  something  like  this  that  Paul 
had  in  mind  when  he  contrasted  Adam's  attempt 
to  grasp  equality  with  God  with  Christ's  humbling 
himself  to  the  death  of  the  cross.  By  this  means 
Christ  reached  exaltation  to  the  right  hand  of 
God.  Man  is  made  in  the  image  of  God;  the 
way,  however,  to  become  truly  divine  is  not 
through  grasping  knowledge  and  life  but  through 
the  gift  of  the  self.  This  arrives  at  the  power  of 
God  and  at  the  wisdom  of  God. 

Moreover,  it  was  something  like  this  that  Paul 
had  in  mind  when  he  said,  I  die  daily.  Daily 
came  the  chances  to  serve ;  daily  was  self-sacrifice 
called  for ;  and  daily  did  his  life  become  richer  and 
fuller. 

It  is  this  last  thought   which  is,   perhaps,  near- 


Self-Giving  83 

est  to  men's  every-day  walk.  They  may  not  be 
called  upon  to  ascend  the  scaffold,  but  day  by  day 
come  life's  difficulties  and  day  by  day  is  to  come 
the  surrender  to  God's  purpose. 


When  the  words  were  spoken,  Whosoever  would 
become  great  among  you  shall  be  your  servant, 
and  whosoever  would  be  first  among  you  shall  be 
your  bond-servant,  the  thing  was  considered 
impossible  and  some  to-day  think  the  words  can  be 
true  only  of  a  far-off  millennium;  but  they  are  in 
direct  line  with  our  thought  and  are  already  being 
demonstrated  true.  Public  opinion  is  learning  that 
a  man's  powers  of  gathering  and  accumulating  do 
not  determine  his  greatness.  A  merely  wealthy 
man  is  no  longer  a  great  man.  It  is  genius  in  giv- 
ing that  wins  approval.  This  is  the  real  test. 
Giving  must  be  the  sole  purpose  of  wealth.  Public 
favor  is  beginning  to  elect  to  places  of  honor  and 
authority  those  who  are  the  best  public  servants. 

The  advance  which  has  been  made  in  the 
direction  of  the  Christian  ideal  is  not  generally 
realized.  More  and  more,  however,  society  is 
acclaiming  as  the  great  in  the  land  those  who 
serve  the  best.  Those  are  accounted  worthy  who 
are  letting  the  outline  of  the  cross  show  them 
their  path.  It  is  looking  at  the  cross  which  gives 
a  man  the  courage  to  master  the  self  and  to  devote 
it  to  humanity. 


84  The  Unexplored  Self 

This  is  all  encouraging,  but  one  must  not  sup- 
pose that  it  has  now  become  easy  to  be  a  Christian. 

In  certain  directions  it  is  easier.  It  used  to  be 
hard  to  reconcile  science  and  religion.  It  used  to 
be  hard  to  accept  the  creeds  and  also  follow 
reason.  We  may  turn  aside  to  say  that  some  at 
least  in  the  past  century  deserve  honor  for  their 
very  courage  in  holding  to  the  value  of  Christianity 
even  though  they  were  ridiculed  by  the  learned  and 
shaken  by  their  own  reasoning. 

Such  difficulties  are  largely  lifted.  Science  is 
no  longer  arrogant ;  the  demand  of  life  for  justifi- 
cation is  regarded  with  respect;  and  ministration 
that  can  be  conspicuous  is  not  unpopular. 


With  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  heart  of 
Christianity,  however,  it  is  harder  to  be  a  Christian 
than  ever.  Now  the  hardness  comes  where  it 
ought  to  come.  With  a  misconception  of  Chris- 
tianity, it  has  been  possible  for  some  of  its  most 
zealous  advocates  to  be  thoroughly  selfish.  When 
the  cross  is  made  actually  the  centre,  this  is 
impossible. 

Men  are  now  asked  not  to  subscribe  to  a  creed, 
or  to  a  course  of  reasoning.  Such  subscription  is 
comparatively  easy.  They  are  not  asked  to  give 
so  much  their  money,  nor  their  services,  nor  their 
enthusiasm.  They  are  asked  to  give  themselves, 
and  this  sacrifice  is  hard. 


Self-Giving  85 

It  is  not  hard  to  give  one's  talents,  to  give  one's 
voice,  to  give  evidence  of  "spirituality,"  but  it  is 
hard  to  give  the  self.  This  is  spiritual.  This  is 
the  only  thing  that  is  redemptive.  A  minister 
who  sinks  himself  in  his  work  may  be  deceived 
into  thinking  it  is  self-denial;  he  may  stir  men  by 
his  grasp  of  things  eternal;  but  if  he  is,  all  the 
while,  self-centred,  his  influence  is  bad. 

As  little  as  it  has  yet  been  grasped,  this  heart  of 
Christianity,  this  crucifixion,  has  been  nevertheless 
the  only  salvation  that  the  world  has  known. 
With  it  science,  discovery,  teaching,  theology  are 
uplifting.     Without  it  they  are  degrading. 

The  message  of  Christianity  as  thus  read  is 
not  at  all  to  be  compressed  into  the  words 
charity,  or  altruism,  or  martyrdom,  or  even  love. 
There  must  be  self-surrender.  With  self-sur- 
render, however,  Christianity  goes  to  the  very 
roots  of  life  and  relates  its  sources  to  the 
divine.  Moreover,  it  takes  suffering  and  death, 
the  most  discouraging  facts  of  experience,  and 
translates  them  into  instruments  for  achievement. 

It  is  at  this  point  that  the  tug  of  Christianity 
comes;  but  here  is  also  where  its  supremacy  and 
hope  come.  This  is  a  new  conservation  of  energy 
which  makes  the  world  of  self  as  indestructible  as 
the  world  of  matter.  It  says  that  in  life  reaction 
is  greater  than  action,  so  that  the  individual  life  is 
lifted  above  the  routine  and  a  door  is  opened  to 
indefinite  growth  and  advance. 


CHAPTER  IX 

KINSHIP  AND  THE  CROSS 


THE  inability  to  express  vitalexperience  in  words 
is  a  part  of  the  disparity  between  man's 
reach  and  his  grasp.  It  is  one  of  the  evidences  of 
his  unfathomed  greatness.  Into  every  life  there 
come  currents  whose  power  is  recognized,  without, 
however,  the  ability  to  define  and  explain  the  source. 
There  has  come  into  the  world  from  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Christ,  an  influence,  the  most  potent  the 
world  has  ever  known,  one  more  cosmic  than  the 
primeval  floods  and  fires;  an  influence  so  extra- 
ordinary that  many  have  refused  to  think  the 
single  source  adequate  and  have  adduced  expla- 
nations from  a  thousand  and  one  different  other 
directions.  They  have  said:  It  should  not  be  so, 
and  have  called  attention  to  other  heroic  mar- 
tyrs; yet  after  all  their  additions  have  been  mar- 
shalled into  place,  the  cross  as  a  symbol  has  stood 
high  above,  a  millennial  force,  transforming  lives 
and  life  and  so  transforming  the  very  topography 
of  the  earth. 

86 


Kinship  and  the  Cross  87 

Men  have  said  that  there  can  be  no  such  magic 
in  an  event;  that  it  must  be  the  teachings  of 
Christ,  his  theology,  his  resurrection;  it  must  be 
the  ideas  developed  by  his  disciples.  Modifica- 
tions and  betterments  of  Christianity  are  under- 
taken in  every  generation,  yet  those  who  most  feel 
the  intensity  of  the  Christian  faith  refer  it  directly 
to  the  "  cross,"  and  when  we  look  at  the  course  of 
Christianity  we  can  trace  the  path  of  the  empha- 
sis upon  the  crucifixion  by  the  resulting  greater 
transformation  of  life  somewhat  as  the  track  of 
a  stream  can  be  traced  by  the  vegetation  and 
productivity. 

Men  have  found  themselves  face  to  face,  not 
with  what  they  would  expect,  perhaps,  but  with 
a  fact. 

Every  age  has  endeavored  to  interpret  the 
"power  of  the  cross"  and  every  succeeding  age 
has  found  the  interpretation  insufficient. 

In  days  of  hostage  and  captivity,  the  death  of 
Christ  was  regarded  as  a  ransom.  When  the 
commercial  spirit  was  growing,  there  was  the 
commercial  theory  of  the  Atonement.  It  has 
been  regarded  as  vicarious  suffering.  There  has 
been  the  substitution  theory  of  the  Atonement. 
Men  have  said,  it  meant  the  passing  of  the  old 
Adam,  that  it  meant  the  passing  of  the  law  of 
sacrifice. 

We  are  still  familiar  in  these  days  with  the 
antique  and  extravagant  imagery  retained  in  our 


88  The  Unexplored  Self 

hymns,  where  the  sinner  is  said  to  be  washed  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  where  he  is  said  to  have 
plunged  into  the  fountain  of  blood. 

The  cross  saves  men  from  sin  where  there  is 
faith  in  the  crucified;  for  since  suffering  arouses 
men  to  the  fact  of  sin,  they  may  accept  Calvary 
and  be  saved  from  suffering.  In  this  way  Christ 
suffered  vicariously  for  the  world. 

The  crucifixion  stands  for  the  disastrous  results 
of  ignorance  and  selfishness.  It  is  the  assurance  of 
unflinching  love. 


The  great  wealth  of  interpretations  shows  the 
reality  and  the  manifoldness  of  the  influence  of  the 
crucifixion  which  to  the  Greeks  was  foolishness  and 
to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block.  It  is  strange  and 
humbling,  the  difference  that  the  point  of  view 
makes. 

The  disciples  at  first  thought  that  they  had  the 
task  of  proving  Christ  to  be  the  Messiah  in  spite 
of  the  cross,  and,  lo,  they  learned  that  he  was  the 
Messiah  because  of  the  cross.  The  discouraged 
words  spoken  by  the  two  disciples  on  the  way  to 
Emmaus  probably  represented  the  prevailing 
sentiment:  But  we  hoped  that  it  was  he  who 
should  redeem  Israel. 

The  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  perhaps  most 
clearly  perceived  that  what  had  been  a  cause  of 
offence  must  be  made  the  basis  for  faith.     The 


Kinship  and  the  Cross  89 

cross,  which  at  first  made  them  all  forsake  him  and 
flee,  thus  became  the  rallying  point.  Christ,  when 
he  was  lifted  up  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  brazen 
serpent  in  the  wilderness,  drew  all  men  to  him. 

Among  the  manifold  meanings  of  the  redemp- 
tion, a  subject  which  has  already  been  discussed 
in  the  preceding  chapter,  there  is  one  that  has 
been  increasingly  recognized  recently.  This  is 
the  power  of  suffering  to  arouse  a  sense  of  kinship 
and  thus  to  develop  kinship.  It  is  the  sympathy 
that  is  irresistibly  quickened  by  suffering  which 
establishes  kinship  as  nothing  else  does.  Con- 
sanguinity, co-operation,  social  and  national  ties 
are  feeble  forces  compared  with  the  tide  of  emotion, 
the  catching  at  the  throat,  the  outreaching  of  the 
heart  that  sympathy  with  sorrow  and  grief  brings. 
The  actual  unity,  the  proto-psychic  identity,  the 
spirit  oneness,  the  immanent  divinity  is  revealed 
and  recognized  as  in  no  other  way. 

It  is  in  this  connection  that  one  of  Christ's 
seven  words  from  the  cross  obtains  special  sig- 
nificance. 


We  are  told  that  there  stood  by  the  cross  of 
Jesus,  his  mother  and  his  mother's  sister,  Mary 
the  wife  of  Cleopas,  and  Mary  Magdalene.  When 
Jesus,  therefore,  saw  his  mother  and  the  disciple 
standing  by  whom  he  loved  he  said  unto  his 


90  The  Unexplored  Self 

mother,  Woman,  behold  thy  son.  Then  said  he 
to  the  disciple,  Behold  thy  mother!  And  from 
that  hour  John  took  her  unto  his  own.  That 
common  ordeal  of  grief  so  knit  together  John  and 
Mary  that  ever  after  the  life  of  the  one  was  blended 
into  the  life  of  the  other. 

History  is  replete  with  illustrations  of  this  effect 
of  suffering.  It  has  become  classic  in  the  words 
of  Ruth  to  Naomi  after  they  two,  aliens  in  race, 
had  thrice  supported  one  another  through  the  val- 
ley of  the  shadow  of  death:  Whither  thou  goest 
I  will  go  and  where  thou  lodgest  I  will  Lodge ;  thy 
people  shall  be  my  people  and  thy  God  my  God; 
where  thou  diest  will  I  die  and  there  will  I  be 
buried. 

It  is  not  geographical  propinquity  that  welds 
people  together  into  a  single  nation,  nor  even  com- 
mon interests,  so  much  as  sympathy  under  real  or 
imagined  persecution.  Oppressive  measures  bring 
out  the  adhesive  fluids  in  human  society.  Tyran- 
nical legislation  acts  as  a  fire  to  melt  less  notable 
metals  into  irresistible  steel. 

There  is  an  actual  spirit  of  fraternity  among 
veteran  soldiers,  hailing  from  different  parts  of 
the  country.  It  is  a  bond  that,  invisible,  was 
woven  in  the  long  marches,  the  dreary  days,  the 
terrors  of  battle — all  the  privation  which  the  war 
meant  to  them. 

Not  infrequently  it  happens  that  a  person  whom 
one  has  little  known  or  from  whom,  perhaps,  one 


Kinship  and  the  Cross  91 

has  been  repelled,  shows  the  eyes  glistening  with 
tears  and  at  once  the  heart  brims  over  with  sym- 
pathy and  the  hands  are  extended  in  assistance. 
A  man,  whom,  perhaps,  one  would  have  liked  to 
help  before,  save  that  he  seemed  so  distant,  in  an 
unguarded  moment  reveals  his  pain,  and  the  way 
is  laid  to  friendship. 

A  man  may  easily  be  heedless  of  the  cripples, 
the  maimed,  the  halt,  and  the  blind  around  him 
until  the  ill  has  come  into  his  own  life.  Many  a 
free  bed  in  hospitals,  many  of  the  hospitals  them- 
selves are  the  direct  result  of  some  such  new  dis- 
covery of  human  kinship. 

To  a  great  extent  the  adoration  that  encircles 
the  holy  word  maternity,  motherhood,  is  the 
result  of  the  suffering  and  travail  which  the 
word  postulates.  The  word  mother  is  a  scar 
like  the  blessed  wound-prints  which  the  lips  touch 
reverently. 

It  is  almost  a  paradox  that  in  the  hours  of  men- 
tal gloom,  when  a  man  treads  the  wine-press  alone, 
when  he  feels  the  most  aloof,  in  these  very  hours 
the  soul  is  reaching  out  and  his  inner  self  is  being 
most  closely  meshed  into  humanity.  It  is  the 
need  of  love  that  makes  the  love  leap  forth  as  buds 
reach  out  toward  the  sun. 


With  this  meaning  alone,  however,   we  have 
gone  a  comparatively  short  way  into  our  subject. 


92  The  Unexplored  Self 

A  far  greater  influence  in  the  crucifixion  lies  in  its 
having  knit  men  and  God  together. 

Men  have  thought  it  presumptuous  to  claim  that 
God  could  love  human  beings.  I  do  not  know 
fully  why  he  does  but  one  reason  is  that  men  suffer. 
There  may  be  other  reasons  but  this  one  seems 
almost  enough  by  itself,  that  men  need  his  love. 

Even  were  the  creator  an  indifferent  being, 
human  woe  would  arouse  his  interest.  It  is  pos- 
sible to  speak  carelessly  here,  but  if  there  be  a  God, 
the  cry  of  the  sheep  gone  astray  would  take  the 
shepherd  away  into  the  mountains,  and  if  so  be 
that  he  found  it,  he  would  rejoice  over  it  more  than 
over  the  ninety  and  nine  which  had  not  gone 
astray. 

In  its  attention  to  the  outcast,  Christianity  is 
more  true  to  psychology  than  the  religion  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest.  Those  to  whom  most  is 
forgiven  may  possibly  love  the  most.  Humanity 
is  to  be  raised  from  its  lowest  levels  and  develop- 
ment is  not  for  a  few  favored  specimens. 

And  how  have  men  come  to  love  God — not  to 
fear  him  nor  to  obey  him,  but  to  love  him?  There 
may  be  other  causes,  his  goodness,  his  mercy,  but 
this  one  seems  almost  enough  by  itself,  that  he 
needs  their  help  and  suffers  without  it.  More 
potent  than  any  other  motive  in  calling  out  the 
love  of  humanity  toward  God  is  the  revelation  of 
him  as  suffering.  Such  a  vision  is  able  to  recon- 
cile the  most  rebellious  child  to  his  parent. 


Kinship  and  the  Cross  93 

Men  who  thought  of  God  as  in  eternal  bliss 
have  been  able  to  speak  angrily  of  him,  but  as 
soon  as  the  crucifixion  becomes  to  one  an  actual 
revelation  of  the  character  of  God,  namely  that  he 
is  grieved  and  frustrated  because  men  will  not 
enter  into  his  purpose  for  the  world,  nay  more, 
that  he  actually  suffers  when  men  crucify  his  son — 
as  soon  as  this  aspect  of  the  crucifixion  is  actual  to 
one,  the  effect  is  spontaneous. 

If  this  interpretation  of  the  Atonement  as  recon- 
ciling men  to  God  seem  too  modern  to  be  ortho- 
dox, there  are  plenty  of  proof  texts,  as,  for  in- 
stance, in  Corinthians:  All  things  are  of  God, 
who  reconciled  us  to  himself  through  Christ 
and  gave  unto  us  the  ministry  of  the  reconcilia- 
tion, to  wit,  that  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling 
the  world  unto  himself ;  and  again  in  Ephesians : 
And  might  reconcile  both  Jews  and  Greeks  in 
one  body  unto  God  through  the  cross ;  and  else- 
where. 

Few  are  called  upon  to-day  to  go  into  the  older 
theological  discussions  of  the  Atonement  and  the 
Redemption,  but  one  can  so  understand  the  cru- 
cifixion that  not  only  will  he  be  aroused  to  a  new 
sympathy  with  his  fellows,  but  there  may  come 
to  him  a  new  sense  of  divine  kinship;  and  as  he 
thinks  of  God  eternally  suffering  through  and  in 
behalf  of  humanity,  there  may  come  a  realization 
of  the  reconciliation,  not  of  God  to  him,  but  of 
himself  to  God.  He  may  learn  not  merely  to 
praise  God  and  worship  him  but  he  may  love 


94  The  Unexplored  Self 

him.     The  Christian  Prometheus  stands  for  God 
as  well  as  for  humanity. 

Love  to  God  comes  to  us  enjoined  as  the  first 
and  great  commandment,  and  it  is  the  suffering 
God  revealed  in  suffering  humanity  that  compels 
love. 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  FIRST  AND  GREAT  COMMANDMENT 


THE  subject  directs  attention  to  the  great 
Shema,  the  Pater  Noster  of  the  Hebrews, 
worn  in  their  frontlets,  placed  upon  their  door- 
posts: Hear,  O  Israel,  Jehovah  our  God  is  one 
Jehovah  and  thou  shalt  love  Jehovah  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind. 

The  founder  of  Christianity  summed  up  the 
whole  duty  of  a  disciple  in  two  laws,  this  one  and 
one  taken  from  the  book  of  Leviticus:  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  The  priority 
he  gave  to  the  former. 

Of  the  failures  of  the  Christian  Church  and  of 
Christian  individuals,  the  more  conspicuous  have 
been  in  the  keeping  of  the  latter. 

The  fault  of  the  Church  in  this  regard  has 
frequently  been  notorious.  To  bear  the  name  of 
Christ  has  not  guaranteed  love  of  the  neighbor. 
The  milk  of  human  kindness  has  often  flowed 
more  freely  even  under  pagan  surroundings  than 
among  church  members. 

95 


96  The  Unexplored  Self 

He  who  looks  back  at  the  humanitarian  move- 
ments of  the  past  century,  may  readily  be  led  to 
believe  that  those  who  were  indifferent  to  the 
claims  of  deity  led  in  teaching  brotherly  love. 

It  is  in  part  because  of  the  significance  of  the 
second  commandment  that  we  urge  the  first,  and 
the  matter  is  stated  thus  in  a  paradox  to  make  the 
issue  clear. 

The  objection  comes  at  once:  "We  need  more 
emphasis  on  the  second;  why  then  call  for  emphasis 
on  the  first?  The  Church  stands  aloof  because 
the  godward  side  in  religion  has  already  been 
pushed  forward  at  the  expense  of  the  manward 
side.  There  has  been  too  much  talk  about  divinity 
and  too  little  about  humanity ;  the  emphasis  should 
be  inverted.  The  need  is  for  more  sociology  and 
less  theology,  more  about  the  present  world  and 
less  about  heaven,  more  about  love  to  the  actual 
and  less  about  love  to  the  unseen.  After  all, 
religion  is  trying  to  make  men  honest  and 
helpful ;  therefore  if  the  second  is  the  important 
thing,  why  not  say  so  and  drive  directly  at  the 
goal?" 

Against  this  very  prevalent  plea,  however,  is  the 
position  taken  by  one  who  understood  and  lived 
the  second  commandment  as  no  one  else  has  ever 
done. 

These  two  opposite  points  of  view  furnish  quite 
a  little  to  think  about,  since  the  number  and 
influence  of  those  who  would  make  primary  the 


The  First  and  Great  Commandment  97 

commandment  to  love  the  neighbor,  puts  their 
position  where  it  deserves  serious  consideration. 


We  may  pick  out  several  lines  of  thinking  which 
lead  to  disagreement  with  Christ's  emphasis — 
several  classes  of  thinkers  who  put  love  to  neighbor 
first  and  foremost. 

One  important  class  is  made  up  of  every-day 
workers,  practical  men,  newspaper  editors,  men  of 
sound  common-sense,  men  who  are  accustomed  to 
rub  up  against  men. 

They  say:  "Yes,  the  Church  is  a  good  thing;  I 
want  my  family  to  attend;  the  Church  keeps  up 
public  opinion;  it  is  bad  for  a  community  to  have 
no  Church  and  it  is  probably  necessary  to  add 
ritual  and  singing  so  that  the  services  may  be 
made  attractive  and  the  people  may  be  drawn  in ; 
but  the  real  purpose  is  to  keep  crime  down  and 
to  teach  morality;  the  ceremonies  are  a  frame,  a 
setting  for  the  ethical  lessons,  for  the  human  side." 

Perhaps  into  this  group  would  be  put  also 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  Ethical  Culture 
movement.  They  have  their  meetings  and  their 
sermons  but  the  second  of  Christ's  two  com- 
mandments is  for  them  admittedly  the  first  and 
great. 

Into  another  group  we  may  put  those  whose 
creed  is  similar  but  who  are  more  aggressive  with  it. 


98  The  Unexplored  Self 

The  religion  of  the  Socialists,  for  instance, 
centres  in  the  second  commandment.  The  seen 
world  with  its  demands  and  difficulties  is  sufficient 
for  them.  The  happiness  of  men  and  women 
to-day  is  their  aim  and  they  will  not  distract  the 
vision  by  an  appeal  for  belief  in  anything  larger 
than  our  seen  life. 

They  will  go  straight  at  the  mark  without 
beating  around  the  bush.  To  all  intents  and 
purposes  death  is  the  end  of  life.  If  there  is 
anything  more  it  is  useless  to  speculate  about  it. 
Legislation  is  their  method. 

Their  case  as  they  state  it  makes  a  strong  appeal 
and  draws  an  increasing  following. 

In  another  group  we  may  put  the  humani- 
tarians, largely  made  up  of  the  school-bred,  to 
whom  the  cry  of  the  human  appeals,  and  who  find 
their  creed  summed  up  in  love  for  man. 

Hunt's  poem  of  Abou  Ben  Adhem  is  a  type  of 
this  point  of  view.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
in  this  poem  the  name  of  the  man  who  loved  his 
fellow-men  led  all  the  rest  in  the  list  of  those  who 
loved  the  Lord. 

The  responsive  thrill  that  comes  at  the  thought 
in  the  poem  is  evidence  that  to  some  extent,  at 
least,  we  agree  with  the  sentiment.  Human  love 
is  felt  to  be  the  portal  to  divine  love. 

If  they  love  not  men  whom  they  have  seen, 
how  shall  they  love  God  whom  they  have  not 
seen?     The   argument  for  the   primacy   of    the 


The  First  and  Great  Commandment  99 

second  commandment  rests,  therefore,  on  script- 
ural authority. 

In  another  group  may  be  placed  the  members  and 
supporters  of  fraternal  orders  which  are  so  numer- 
ous all  the  world  over.  There  are  many  who  find 
in  Grange  or  Lodge  their  church  and  their  religion. 

They  contrast  the  fraternity  within  their  circles 
with  the  absence  of  benefits  and  of  systematized 
visitation  in  the  churches.  They  accept  a  belief 
in  God  and  have  a  right  to  be  called  religious 
bodies,  but  with  them  all  the  love  of  the  brother 
or  the  sister  is  frankly  first. 

Into  another  group  may  be  gathered  those  who, 
nominally  enrolled  within  the  Church,  have  been 
perplexed  by  confusing  argumentation  about  the 
existence  of  God.  They  see  a  need  for  workers, 
and  they  believe  that  the  Church  furnishes  an 
opportunity  for  helpfulness,  but  they  have  never 
thought  through  to  a  faith  in  the  first  com- 
mandment. 

They  think  that  they  can  work  without  it. 
There  are  many  such  who  rather  despair  of 
obtaining  anything  from  the  Godward  side  of 
religious  life,  and  who  thus  miss  the  gladness  and 
brightness  of  service  although  they  are  con- 
scientious and  faithful  in  the  manward  side. 

A  final  group  we  may  mention  of  ministers  and 
religious  leaders  who,  because  they  see  in  the 


ioo  The  Unexplored  Self 

institutional  work  and  in  the  social  activity  a 
renewed  influence  of  the  Church,  are  inclined  to 
subordinate  the  spiritual  part  of  the  church  life. 

Christ  fully  understood  and  sympathized  with 
the  longing  to  help  man.  He  would  call  for  love 
of  neighbor  more  yearningly  than  any  one  in  the 
groups  which  we  have  enumerated. 

His  plea  was  not  for  less  thoughtfulness  toward 
our  fellows  but  more — nevertheless:  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with 
all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind;  this  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment. 


It  is  the  first  and  great  commandment,  to  begin 
with,  because  there  is  much  more  to  life — life  is 
much  broader  and  deeper  than  merely  loving 
one's  neighbor.  The  larger  dependence  is  the 
thing  that  imparts  a  meaning  to  the  neighbor 
relation.  Without  it  the  neighbor  relation  would 
be  a  superficial  and  unimportant  thing. 

There  is  more  to  life  than  eating  and  drinking 
and  vegetation  and  kindliness.  There  is  more 
than  the  feeling  well  disposed  toward  mankind. 
— more  than  with  Omar  Khayyam,  poesy,  food, 
and  friendship.  There  is  more  than  keeping  in 
harmony  with  circumstances,  more  than  poise  and 
serenity,  more  than  frictionless  motion,  more  than 
the  greatest  happiness  of  the  greatest  number. 


The  First  and  Great  CpmrnajiSqierili \'']ioim 

With  increased  enlightenment  happiness  itself 
becomes  irritating  unless  it  is  related  to  a  greater 
purpose.  Self-sacrifice,  expenditure  for  others, 
struggle,  work — all  become  mockeries  without  a 
deeper  meaning.  Without  a  reference  beyond, 
love  itself  becomes  a  disappointment,  a  delirium. 

So  play,  sympathy,  self-control,  morality,  are 
valid  only  in  their  higher  bearing  and  only  because 
experience  has  its  elevation  as  well  as  its  con- 
tinuance. There  is  advance  and  uplift  for  us  as 
well  as  freedom  from  rancor  and  from  malice. 

The  Church  is  more  than  a  place  where  children 
may  be  taught  manners  and  morals,  kindliness 
and  contentment.  The  Church  is  more  than  a 
centre  for  charity  and  philanthropy.  These 
would  be  emptiness  and  vanity  without  a  further 
issue.  Sermons  and  ethics  amount  to  little  un- 
less we  learn  to  appreciate  some  larger  good  in 
conduct. 

Jesus  had  indeed  his  teachings  and  his  activities, 
but  he  had  also  his  times  of  solitude  and  his  times 
of  communion  with  that,  or  with  him  whom  he 
called  his  heavenly  father.  He  healed  bodies 
and  minds,  but  he  was  chiefly  interested  in  stimu- 
lating faith  in  life. 

Life  and  neighbor-love  obtain  a  meaning  be- 
cause of  a  loving  and  lovable  God  from  whom 
we  come  and  to  whom  we  return. 

This  emphasis  appeals  to  the  practical  man,  to 


102  The  Unexplored  Self 

the  ethicist,  to  the  humanitarian,  to  the  fraternal 
orders,  to  the  religious  doubters,  not  to  be  satisfied 
with  vegetation,  with  digestion  and  affable  socia- 
bility, but  to  press  through  to  the  greater  purpose 
which  gives  an  adequate  value  to  these  things. 

Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart  and  with  all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind ; 
this  is  the  first  and  great  commandment. 


4 


A  second  reason  why  it  is  the  first  and  great 
commandment  is  because  without  it  permanent, 
organized  humanitarianism,  work  for  neighbor,  is 
impossible.  This  may  be  said  not  as  a  theory  but 
as  a  universal  experience. 

It  is  easy  to  obtain  recruits  for  a  new  work  or  for 
a  new  organization,  but  to  hold  those  who  are  to 
remain  in  the  work  month  in  and  month  out,  year 
in  and  year  out,  there  must  be  more  than  the 
attractiveness  of  novelty. 

Especially  is  a  deeper  interest  necessary  when 
criticisms  and  disagreements  arise  as  they  always 
do  where  men  are  trying  to  co-operate. 

Many  a  religious  worker,  because  the  real  touch 
with  God  was  lost,  has  withdrawn  when  dis- 
couragements arose,  washing  his  hands  of  the 
whole  affair.  It  is  natural  to  say:  I  have  done 
my  best;  if  people  do  not  like  my  efforts  I  will 
give  up  trying. 


The  First  and  Great  Commandment    103 

Many  who  have  been  very  zealous,  thinking 
they  were  jealous  for  the  Lord,  see  promises  unkept 
and  covenants  broken  and  they  retire  far  from  the 
field  of  labor,  ready  to  give  up.  It  requires  a 
voice  from  above  to  put  new  energy  into  such 
workers  and  to  send  them  back  to  the  post  of 
duty. 

As  long  as  things  go  well  and  there  is  evidence 
of  growth  there  is  no  dearth  of  helpers. 

Any  scheme,  provided  it  offers  increase,  can 
find  supporters;  but  when  the  test  comes,  the 
touch  of  elbow  with  elbow,  the  actual  self-denial, 
the  difficulties,  the  tugs,  the  friction,  the  blocks  in 
the  way,  the  mistakes  and  the  failures — then 
interest  in  the  organization  and  interest  in  the 
work  need  to  be  supplemented  by  a  realization  of 
the  further  reach  of  the  activity. 

Then  is  seen  the  force  of  the  words,  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with 
all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind ;  this  is  the  first 
and  great  commandment. 


It  is  the  first  and  great  commandment  in  the 
third  place  because  love  for  man  as  man,  for 
neighbor  as  neighbor,  is  impossible  without  it. 

The  test  is  the  proof.  Any  one  who  has  tried 
other  means  will  confess  that  there  must  be  a 
higher    relation    which    makes    man    an    actual 


104  The  Unexplored  Self 

brother,  which  brings  love  for  and  sympathy  with 
man  as  man. 

It  is  easy  enough  to  care  for  certain  men,  for 
certain  neighbors.  It  is  easy  enough  to  care  for 
man  in  the  abstract,  but  when  it  comes  to  the 
particular  man,  to  the  mean  man,  to  the  small 
man,  to  the  noisy  man,  to  the  conceited  man,  to 
the  empty  man,  to  the  uncleanly  man,  there  must 
be  something  else  to  call  out  the  love.  Close  con- 
tact, rubbing  up  against  him,  often  increases  the 
repugnance. 

Even  years  of  intimate  association  and  friend- 
ship are  no  guarantee  that  the  bitterest  hatred 
may  not  break  out. 

Frequently  it  is  said,  I  simply  cannot  like  him. 
In  such  cases  what  methods  may  be  suggested  to 
bring  out  a  liking,  the  interest  opposite,  the 
character  opposite,  the  temperament  opposite? 
Is  there  anything  more  than  a  mutual  forbearance 
in  behalf  of  peace?  Unless  one  can  press  through 
to  a  love  of  God  who  is  a  common  father,  love  for 
the  unlovely  man  fails.  Only  such  a  considera- 
tion can  make  reasonable  the  subordination  of 
self.  Only  such  a  bridge  way  is  able  to  overcome 
personal  and  racial  antipathies,  social  jealousies 
and  temperamental  dislikes. 

A  good  illustration  is  found  in  the  numbers 
three  and  four,  which  are  as  different  as  numbers 
can  well  be.  The  one  is  odd  and  the  other  even, 
the  one   triangular    and    the   other  rectangular. 


The  First  and  Great  Commandment    105 

They  seem  to  be  mutually  exclusive  until  is 
taken  into  consideration  the  number  twelve, 
and  behold  the  two  nestle  together  quite  lov- 
ingly. 

It  is  something  like  such  different  tools  as 
a  hammer  and  a  saw,  as  dissimilar  as  imagin- 
able, the  one  used  for  joining  and  the  other 
for  separating.  There  is  no  way  to  make  them 
brothers  till  we  come  to  building  a  house  and 
then  we  find  them  co-operant  and  mutually 
helpful. 

Two  men  who  have  been  life-long  enemies,  on 
opposite  sides  of  every  question,  mutually  dis- 
trustful and  suspicious,  may  nevertheless  in  the 
hour  of  the  country's  need  find  themselves  march- 
ing side  by  side,  following  the  same  flag  and  keep- 
ing step  to  the  same  music. 

Actual  love,  real  love  for  man  as  man,  requires 
the  support  of  a  higher  relation.  It  may  be  pos- 
sible to  forgive  wrongs,  but  when  we  are  called 
upon  not  only  to  forgive  but  to  love  those  who 
are  now  doing  us  wrong,  we  need  the  first  and 
great  commandment. 

Of  course,  the  love  of  one  or  more  human  be- 
ings, temporally  precedes  our  knowledge  of  God. 
The  particular  must  always  precede  the  universal. 
But  when  we  wish  to  come  back  to  experience 
with  a  universal  law  we  shall  find:  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with 
all  thy  soul  and  with  all  thy  mind,  is  truly  the 
first  and  great  commandment. 


106  The  Unexplored  Self 

6 

The  present  is  a  period  when  the  relative 
emphasis  put  by  the  founder  of  Christianity- 
needs  especially  to  be  recognized. 

Unless  God  is  kept  in  mind  there  is  a  great 
danger  that  with  our  practical  natures,  with  the 
abundant  opportunities  for  amusements,  literary, 
spectacular,  or  athletic,  and  with  the  increasing 
society  life  which  seems  to  entail  luxury  and 
social  ambition — with  all  these  there  is  the 
danger  that  our  spiritual  natures  will  become 
dwarfed  and  stunted. 

There  is,  furthermore,  the  danger  that  such 
developments  as  the  institutional  Church,  with 
its  varied  and  beneficial  activities,  may  direct  the 
attention  away  from  the  Godward  relation.  In 
the  success  of  the  institutional  Church  may  be 
forgotten  that  the  first  and  primary  function  of 
the  Church  is  to  bring  men  to  God  and  to  bring 
God  to  men.  Upon  its  ability  to  do  this  depends 
its  life  and  its  power. 

There  is  in  the  third  place,  in  regard  to  the 
love  of  neighbor,  a  special  danger  in  a  democracy, 
when  men  shall  cease  to  look  upon  their  fellows 
as  brothers  in  any  real  way.  The  disruptions 
through  social  caste  and  economic  distinctions 
appear  to  be  gaining  ground. 

Perhaps  more  immediately  upon  us  is  the  dan- 


The  First  and  Great  Commandment    107 

ger  from  race  prejudice  where  it  seems  increasingly 
difficult  to  arouse  love  for  those  of  a  different  skin. 
And,  of  course,  the  ill-feeling  and  unhappiness 
from  individual  dislikes  and  from  selfishness  is 
always  upon  us.  It  is  only  the  first  command- 
ment thoroughly  understood  and  obeyed  that 
can  bring  either  the  nation  or  the  individual  to  an 
actual  sense  of  brotherhood  and  of  neighbor  love. 

It  was  therefore  no  paradox  when  Christ,  because 
he  recognized  the  importance  and  the  need  of  the 
second  commandment,  proclaimed  what  we  have 
taken  as  a  sort  of  refrain:  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy 
soul  and  with  all  thy  mind;  this  is  the  first  and 
great  commandment. 

Christianity  speaks  of  God  as  a  personality 
outside  of  and  apart  from  the  human  individual. 
Its  teaching  about  God,  however,  it  completes 
with  a  teaching  about  the  Holy  Spirit,  God's 
power  working  through  the  individual. 


CHAPTER  XI 

UNDER  AUTHORITY 


WERE  a  man  standing  on  a  village  street  and 
a  stranger  should  step  up  to  him,  put  his 
hand  on  his  shoulder,  and  say,  You  come  along 
with  me,  what  would  he  answer? 

Had  he  his  wits  about  him,  he  would  answer, 
Who  are  you? 

It  is,  of  course,  likely  that  he  would  be  too 
startled  to  say  anything  as  sensible  as  that.  But 
if  he  did  keep  his  wits  about  him  he  would  answer, 
Who  are  you? 

If  the  reply  should  be,  It 's  none  of  your  busi- 
ness ;  you  just  come  along,  there  is  little  likelihood 
that  he  would  go. 

If,  however,  when  asked,  Who  are  you?  the 
stranger  should  reply,  I'man  officer,  and  should 
show  his  badge,  at  least  there  would  not  be  any 
physical  resistance.  His  ultimate  right  to  enforce 
obedience  would  be  recognized. 

There  is  a  wide  difference  in  the  two  cases, 
although  the  same  sort  of  a  man  gives  the  com- 

108 


Under  Authority  109 

mand  and  the  command  is  the  same.  The  dif- 
ference is  that  in  the  second  case  the  words  are 
spoken  under  authority  from  the  whole  com- 
munity. 

It  is  not  a  single  individual  giving  an  order. 
Behind  him  is  the  compelling  machinery  of  the 
county  government  and  that  is  recognized  as 
mandatory. 


This  is  rather  a  simple  instance  of  the  power 
that  comes  from  being  under  authority.  Often 
such  power  if  from  the  right  authority  can  perform 
wonders. 

A  little  water  can  derive  its  authority  from  the 
winter's  cold  and,  in  freezing,  split  a  granite 
boulder,  or  it  can  obtain  its  authority  from  the 
furnace  heat  and  burst  an  iron  cylinder.  A  bar 
of  iron  can  derive  its  authority  from  the  dynamo 
and  become  a  huge  magnet.  A  carbon  filament 
may  be  empowered  by  an  electric  battery  and  so 
become  a  glowing  coil.  The  mineral  earths  may 
draw  their  authority  from  the  distant  sun  and 
paint  the  flowers  with  inimitable  colors.  The 
fountain  may  find  its  authority  in  the  mountain 
reservoirs  and  so  pour  out  an  unfailing  supply  of 
refreshment. 

In  such  obvious  cases  it  seems  hardly  neces- 
sary to  call  attention  to  the  authorization,  yet 
there  are  forces  in  life  so  hidden  that  their  immer- 


no  The  Unexplored  Self 

gence  appears  as  a  mystery,  something  secret,  and 
it  means  everything  to  one  when  he  learns  the 
secret. 

It  was  this  secret  which  a  Roman  Centurion, 
told  about  in  Luke's  Gospel,  had  penetrated  and 
formulated. 

The  crowds  might  think  that  Christ's  power 
resided  in  himself.  This  Centurion  saw  whence 
the  power  was  derived  and  therefore  had  a  differ- 
ent kind  of  confidence  in  him.  That  was  why  his 
belief  differed  from  other  evidences  of  faith  which 
Christ  had  met. 

Christ's  estimate  of  this  Centurion's  insight  as 
peerless  was  for  a  long  time  difficult  for  me  to 
understand.  Why  was  his  faith  the  maximum? 
I  was  tempted  to  ask. 

Its  pre-eminence  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
looked  through  the  Christ  and  seen  him  in  whom 
the  Christ  moved. 

His  penetration  had  discovered  the  secret  of 
Christ's  personality  and  message,  the  secret  of  his 
unique  love  and  of  his  sympathy;  Christ  was 
under  authority.  And  Christ  exclaimed,  I  have 
not  seen  so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel. 


There  is  something  uplifting  about  the  mere 
recognition  of  great  potentialities.  The  mountain 
summit   made   golden   by   the   morning   sun,   or 


Under  Authority  1 1 1 

abyss  answering  unto  abyss,  is  less  grand  than 
when  one  human  soul  appreciates  the  majesty  of 
another  soul. 

A  corresponding  thrill  of  satisfaction  must  have 
come  over  Christ  at  the  insight  which  could  result 
only  from  a  deeply  fathomed  knowledge.  Roman 
born,  the  man  was,  it  is  true,  not  Jewish,  but  he 
had  seen  the  ranges  of  personality ;  he  had  learned 
of  the  backgrounds  of  existence. 

I  also,  he  said,  am  a  man  set  under  authority, 
having  under  myself  soldiers,  and  I  say  to  this 
one,  Go,  and  he  goeth,  and  to  another,  Come,  and 
he  cometh,  and  to  my  servant,  Do  this,  and  he 
doeth  it. 

The  Centurion's  commands  were  obeyed,  but 
he  was  not  deceived  as  to  the  reason.  He  knew 
why  they  were  obeyed — not  because  it  was  he, 
Marcellus,  or  Quirinus  that  gave  them  but  because 
the  entire  Roman  system  of  government  gave  them. 

It  is  a  notable  thing  to  look  beneath  the  surface 
of  occurrences  and  events  and  to  find  the  principle 
that  underlies  them.  The  world,  as  a  whole,  has 
been  slow  in  understanding  the  direct  relation  be- 
tween Christ  and  the  force  that  is  raising  humanity. 

In  the  direction  of  this  relation  is  the  reason  for 
the  hold  that  the  thought  of  Christ's  pre -existence 
has  kept  upon  the  Church — a  pre-existence  that 
has  been  accepted  and  maintained  in  spite  of  its 
logical  difficulties.  Perhaps  a  majority  interpret 
it  to  be  an  ideal  pre-existence. 


ii2  The  Unexplored  Self 

In  any  case  the  thought  has  been  that  he  had  a 
commissionership.  He  did  not  arise  accidentally. 
He  was  not  aloof  in  his  origination.  He  was  not 
isolated  in  his  work.  He  came  from  the  father. 
He  was  the  instrument  of  a  great  design. 

He  was  a  son  carrying  on  his  father's  business. 
He  was  the  divine  idea  or  the  divine  Word  or  the 
divine  Logos,  made  flesh. 

These  phrases,  however  much  they  may  have 
been  abused,  are  attempts  to  express  realities. 
Men  come  into  the  world  with  a  destiny  to  achieve 
if  they  will  keep  in  touch  with  the  great  worker 
who  works  through  them.  This  authority  which 
Christ  had  they  can  have.  Greater  works  than 
his  they  shall  do,  is  his  own  promise.  The  Creator, 
the  Purposer,  will  pour  out  through  them  as  much 
of  his  spirit  as  they  can  utilize. 


There  is  on  exhibition  in  a  western  museum,  a 
portion  of  a  tree  trunk  through  which  a  plank  has 
been  driven  and  now  remains  imbedded,  extending 
out  on  both  sides  of  the  trunk.  It  is  the  record  of 
a  cyclone.  The  inert  wooden  plank,  with  no 
initiative  of  its  own,  performed  a  superhuman 
feat — superhuman  because  no  strength  of  man 
can  drive  a  plank  through  a  green  tree  trunk. 

The  secret  of  this  superhuman  power  was  that 
the  plank  was  seized  in  the  grip  of  the  resistless 
hurricane.     It  received  its  authority  from  one  of 


Under  Authority  1 13 

the  mightiest  of  nature's  forces.  Caught  up  and 
thus  swept  along  there  was  nothing  that  could 
withstand  its  impact. 

Another  illustration  would  be  a  motorman  at 
the  head  of  a  train  who  is  able  to  propel  hundreds 
of  people  at  tremendous  speed.  He  is  under 
authority  from  the  power  house,  and  therefore 
when  he  says  to  the  long  line  of  cars,  Go,  they  go, 
and  when  he  says,  Stop,  they  stop. 

The  chemist  who  puts  himself  and  his  activities 
under  the  authority  of  the  great  chemical  laws  is 
the  one  who  advances  the  science. 

The  successful  inventor  is  the  one  who  learns 
the  great  authoritative  energies.  He  puts  his 
feeble  energies  in  line  with  them  and  ob- 
tains astounding  results.  He  appears  to  the  lay 
view  a  wizard.  To  himself  he  seems  almost  a 
hum-bug. 

And  so  there  are  in  experience  great  principles 
of  right.  There  are  in  effort  great  values  stored 
up.  There  are  great  aims  in  the  structure  of 
nature  and  in  history.  If  only  men  can  put  them- 
selves into  relation  with  these  trends,  they  shall 
be  able  to  move  the  world  toward  the  Utopia 
and  toward  the  Kingdom  of  God. 


It  is  not  a  mere  analogy  which  enables  us  to 
transport  the  principle  from  the  physical  to  the 


1 14  The  Unexplored  Self 

mental  and  spiritual  world.  All  activity  is  under 
the  impulse  of  energy  whether  the  energy  be  that 
of  material  motion  or  mental  motivation  or 
spiritual  inspiration. 

Many  a  man  no  abler  than  his  fellows  has 
become  an  efficient  leader  because  he  was  vitalized 
by  a  great  ideal. 

Many  a  man  who  was  at  first  a  poor  speaker 
has  been  transformed  into  an  orator  because  of 
some  great  thought  which  sought  its  expression 
through  him. 

Even  in  the  animal  world  the  timidest  of 
creatures  becomes  fiercely  savage  under  the 
authority  of  centuries  of  mother  instinct. 

Double-minded  men,  unstable  in  all  their  ways, 
become  veritable  rocks  for  firmness  and  stability 
under  the  grasp  of  some  high  cause.  And  waver- 
ing boys  and  girls  become  unflinching  martyrs 
when  held  as  in  a  vice  by  some  great  movement. 

In  the  opera  of  Faust  it  is  represented  that 
Valentine,  the  brother  of  Margaret,  in  his  fury, 
attacks  Mephistopheles,  who  parries  all  the  lunges 
and  thrusts  of  his  assailant. 

At  length  when  Valentine,  finding  his  fencing 
frustrated,  presses  into  close  quarters,  his  blade 
snaps  in  his  hand  and  breaks  off.  This  opens  his 
eyes  to  the  real  power  of  the  enemy  he  is  attack- 
ing, and  no  longer  trusting  to  the  strength  of  his 
own  arm  or  to  the  keenness  of  his  blade,  he  reverses 
his  broken  sword  and  holding  it  on  high,  thus  with 


Under  Authority  115 

the  hilt  making  a  cross,  he  advances  once  more 
to  the  attack. 

This  time,  however,  he  is  under  authority. 
It  is  the  cross  which  comes  to  his  rescue.  Under 
this  aegis  Valentine  is  able  to  turn  the  tables. 
Mephisto  halts,  is  driven  back  and  back,  and 
finally  turns  and  flees. 

Such  an  event  is  not  a  fiction  of  a  poet's  mind — 
nor  a  pretty  tale.  It  is  a  fact  of  mental  science. 
It  is  one  of  the  big  facts  of  history. 

For  believers  in  Christianity  or  for  unbelievers, 
the  most  significant  of  realities  has  been  the  power 
of  the  cross,  or  some  would  say,  the  power  of  the 
same  spirit  which  wrought  through  Christ. 


With  the  forces  of  evil,  humanity  is  engaged  in 
mortal  combat.  The  thrusts  will  be  parried  and 
the  blades  will  be  broken  unless  men  learn  to  give 
up  confidence  in  the  merely  human  motive  of 
happiness  and  learn  the  motive  of  a  divine 
purpose. 

This  is  worth  insisting  upon  because  so  many 
are  fighting  valiantly  against  wrong  and  selfish- 
ness and  greed  but  are  holding  out  the  lesser 
motives — appealing  to  the  desires  for  pleasure — 
abandoning  the  word  duty — resigning  the  thought 
of  a  great  goal  in  this  wonderful  existence  of  ours — 
foregoing  the  inspiration  of  the  relation  to  the 
original  and  end,  the  Alpha  and  Omega. 


n6  The  Unexplored  Self 

Absurd  it  would  have  been  for  Quirinus  or  Mar- 
cellus,  the  Centurion,  to  divest  himself  of  his 
authority,  to  resign  his  office,  to  say,  Not  I  the 
Roman  Centurion  command  obedience,  but  I 
Quirinus  or  Marcellus  command  obedience. 
Would  not  the  reply  be,  Who  are  you — who  are 
you  to  command  me? 

It  is  position  which  gives  power.  It  is  the 
background  which  interprets  the  foreground.  It 
is  the  setting  which  makes  an  event.  It  is  per- 
sonality which  converts  a  play  of  shadow  about 
the  mouth  into  a  gracious  smile.  It  is  his  country, 
its  history  and  its  needs,  which  makes  a  patriot. 
There  are  no  self-made  men. 

He  who  understands  the  secret  of  power  is  not 
swollen  with  pride  at  the  activities  which  his  word 
creates.  He  is,  rather,  self- deprecatory,  knowing 
how  petty  his  actual  power  is  in  comparison  to  the 
huge  reservoirs  which  he  is  in  a  position  to  tap. 

This  was  the  basis  of  Christ's  humility.  It  was 
likewise  the  basis  of  the  Centurion's  humility, 
who  said,  For  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou  shouldest 
come  under  my  roof. 


The  word  humility  leads  to  the  thought  of  sub- 
mission which  is  entailed  by  our  subject.  Humil- 
ity is  not  a  popular  virtue.  Submission  is  hard. 
Authority  is  irksome. 


Under  Authority  117 

A  little  consideration  will  show,  however,  that 
men  are  by  nature  or  by  necessity  under  authority. 
They  are  to  start  with  under  the  bondage  of  the 
senses.  They  are  creatures  of  circumstances,  of 
particular  moods,  of  temporary  passions.  They 
are  swayed  by  transient  motives. 

Always  energy,  but  to  begin  with  the  lower 
types  of  energy,  find  expression  in  their  conduct. 
They  are  under  the  authority  of  the  earth.  They 
are  therefore,  when  revolting  against  divine  author- 
ity, in  danger  of  going  into  an  actual  slavery. 

Only  as  they  come  under  the  control  of  the 
higher,  the  spiritual  energies,  are  they  able  to 
resist  the  earthly  and  so  do  what  they  really  wish 
to  do — what  they  most  wish  to  do. 

The  case  is  something  like  that  of  a  boat  which 
has  been  drifting  about  at  the  mercy  of  the  tides 
and  the  currents ;  if  it  finally  succeeds  in  hoisting 
sail,  by  acting  under  the  authority  of  the  winds, 
it  will  be  able  to  make  the  desired  haven.  In 
submitting  to  a  higher  force  it  will  gain  its  will. 

This  submission  to  authority  is  not  a  giving  up 
of  individuality.  It  is  not  a  confession  of  weak- 
ness. It  is  to  use  the  instruments  and  instru- 
mentalities that  turn  driftwood  into  a  ship — that 
augment  personality — that  make  the  man  more 
free  than  the  brute  and  a  civilized  man  more  at 
liberty  than  the  savage. 

To  sum  up  what  this  chapter  has  tried  to  say, 
then — 


n8  The  Unexplored  Self 

In  physical  accomplishment  the  secret  is  to  let 
one's  little  means  be  supplemented  by  the  great 
influences,  to  let  his  strength  be  augmented  by  the 
great  energies.  The  removal  of  mountains  is 
feasible  to  those  who  can  place  themselves  under 
the  authority  of  gravitation,  expansion,  and 
electricity. 

In  mental  growth  and  activity  the  secret  is  to 
let  one's  mind  receive  the  currents  of  the  world's 
laws  and  the  world's  intellection,  to  be  impelled 
by  the  tremendous  momentum  of  great  thinkers. 

And  in  life,  as  a  whole,  the  secret  is  to  let  one's 
finite  spirit  be  supported  and  stimulated  by  the 
imperfectly  understood  divine  spirit. 

Men  are  not  to  stand  alone.  They  are  not  to 
fight  in  isolation.  They  are  not  to  remain  under 
the  authority  of  the  senses.  They  may  link  their 
efforts  to  the  cosmic,  to  the  divine  effort. 

Evolution  shows  in  part  the  immense  plan  that 
is  working  out.  History  shows  in  part  the  trend 
of  human  advance.  The  individual  hopes  and 
yearnings  disclose  still  more  clearly  what  the 
glory  is  that  shall  be.  And  men  are  to  be  more 
and  more  inbreathed  by  the  divine  purpose. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  COMMUNION  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 


UNTIL  a  person  has  accepted  the  central 
message  of  Christianity,  there  is  no 
need  to  complicate  his  thinking  with  a  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity,  and  of  course  he  can  be  a 
Christian  without  accepting  such  a  doctrine. 
Yet,  for  him  who  thinks  a  little  further,  it  is  a 
wholesome  preventative  of  a  one-sided  deism, 
or  of  a  one-sided  pantheism,  or  of  a  one-sided 
humanism. 

To  speak  of  divinity  at  times  as  separate  from 
the  world,  at  other  times  as  within  the  world,  and 
to  speak  of  the  son  as  divine,  and  also  at  times  as 
distinct  from  God,  fits  experience  better  than  an 
exclusive  monism,  or  dualism,  or  pluralism.  We 
know  so  little  about  existence  that  it  is  naive  to 
jam  it  into  the  framework  of  a  single  principle. 
Diversity  is  as  real  as  similarity  and  the  many  is 
as  actual  as  the  one. 

Men  are  independent  from  one  another  and 
from  God.     At  the  same  time  they  are  all  united 

119 


120  The  Unexplored  Self 

and  in  a  mutual  relation ;  and  this  fact  is  expressed 
in  the  third  member  of  the  triad. 

The  communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit — the  phrase 
is  familiar  from  its  use  in  the  Benediction.  It 
comes  down  with  every  evidence  of  authenticity. 

The  Old  Testament  placed  its  confidence  in 
inspiration  and  found  that  inspiration  among  the 
Gentiles  also.  Aside  from  the  apostolic  sanction, 
the  phrase  is  an  echo  of  the  gift  and  bequest  of 
the  founder  of  Christianity.  It  desires  a  divine 
spirit  in  each  man.  The  communion  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  has  the  authority  of  the  Church  Fathers 
from  the  earliest  times. 

And  yet  to  believe  it  in  any  actual  way  is  for  a 
great  many  of  our  churchmen  a  heresy.  A  minis- 
ter may,  at  the  close  of  a  service,  say  the  words  as 
liturgy,  but  apparently  not  trust  them  as  true. 


Most  candidates  for  the  ministry  are  put 
through  the  following  cross-examination. 

Question:  Do  you  believe  in  the  inspiration 
of  the  Bible?  The  not  difficult  answer  is, 
Yes. 

Question:  Do  you  believe  that  men  like 
Luther  and  Phillips  Brooks  were  inspired? 

Here  likewise  the  answer  may  quite  easily  be, 
Yes. 

Question :     Is  the  inspiration  of  men  like  Luther 


The  Communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  121 

and  Phillips  Brooks  different  from  the  inspiration 
of  the  Bible? 

And  unless  the  answer  is,  Yes,  the  inspiration  is 
essentially  different,  there  is  an  immediate  outcry 
of  unorthodoxy. 

This  is  where  the  candidate,  who  does  not 
realize  that  many  of  his  questioners  regard  the 
ordeal,  through  which  the  novitiate  is  being  put, 
as  a  sort  of  hazing,  is  threatened  by  two  horns  of 
a  dilemma  that  to  him  is  a  disturbing  one.  On 
the  one  hand  all  his  reading  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  has  led  him  to  feel  that  inspiration  is 
not  confined  to  the  canon  of  the  Scriptures;  on 
the  other  hand  if  he  says  that  the  uncanonical 
inspiration  is  not  different  from  the  scriptural,  he 
is  said  to  have  cast  the  Bible  down  from  its  throne. 
He  is  said  to  have  attacked  the  supremacy  or 
uniqueness  of  God's  Word. 

Were  the  examination  of  a  candidate  for  li- 
censure to  preach,  no  more  than  a  bit  of  hazing, 
the  embarrassment  of  the  victim  might  be  a  pleas- 
ant feature  of  the  process;  but  when  young  men 
answer  so  as  to  conceal  their  real  opinions,  the 
effect  is  bad  upon  them  and  upon  the  influence  of 
the  Church.  Some  time  ago  I  was  in  the  Pres- 
bytery of  New  York  when  a  young  man  accused 
us  to  our  faces  of  being  a  trades-union  to  keep 
out  those  who  desired  to  preach.  Such  a  thought 
in  matters  of  ordination  ought  to  be  so  impos- 
sible as  to  be  blasphemous. 


122  The  Unexplored  Self 

3 

The  dilemma  in  which  every  one  who  tries  to 
accept  both  the  present-day  activity  of  the  spirit 
of  God  and  also  the  so-called  orthodox  basing  of 
the  authority  of  the  Bible — this  dilemma  should 
be  faced  by  the  ministers  publicly  and  not  be 
reserved  for  the  baiting  of  theological  novices. 

It  ought  not  to  be  necessary  in  this  day  and 
generation  to  argue  that  the  authority  of  the 
Bible  does  not  rest  upon  a  temporary  intervention 
of  deity  in  human  thinking,  but  upon  the  unpre- 
cedented and  unequalled  way  in  which  the  Biblical 
writers  caught  and  imparted  this  spiritual  in- 
crement which  is  lifting  experience  into  higher 
planes.  Our  interest  in  this  chapter  is  in  the 
present  and  future  actuality  of  this  energy  whose 
influence  is  found  not  only  within  the  covers  of 
the  Bible  but  is  both  universal  and  eternal.  This 
is  a  great  thought,  as  we  saw  in  the  last  chapter, 
if  it  only  gets  hold  of  one. 

The  spirit  moveth,  we  are  told,  where  it  listeth. 
This  means  that  it  cannot  be  cornered  by  a 
Council,  nor  restricted  to  impartation  through  a 
laying  on  of  hands,  nor  kept  in  an  apostolic  suc- 
cession. It  cannot  be  bound  up  in  the  leaves  of 
a  book. 

Wherever  the  spirit  appears  it  is  to  be  recog- 
nized, not  by  traditional  accompaniments,  not  by 
its  source,  but  by  its  intrinsic  merit.  There  is  the 
promise  that  the  spirit  of  truth  will  be  the  guide 


The  Communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  123 

into  all  truth,  and  it  is  very  unwise  Christianity 
to  give  up  the  actual  communion  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  for  the  sake  of  an  easy  argument  for  the 
authority  of  the  Scriptures.  It  is  unwise  Chris- 
tianity so  to  account  for  the  authority  of  the 
Scriptures  that  there  can  be  no  present-day  com- 
munion of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


We  have,  both  in  this  and  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  spoken  confidently  of  the  universal  and 
eternal  influence  of  the  divine  spirit.  Such  words 
perhaps  call  for  a  little  expansion.  What  is 
meant  by  a  divine  spirit? 

A  force  is  known  by  its  results.  The  revolving 
hands  of  a  watch  give  information  of  a  coiled 
spring.  The  force  of  gravitation  is  evidenced  by 
the  rising  and  by  the  falling  of  bodies. 

In  quite  the  same  scientific  way  there  is  evi- 
dence of  an  energy  in  the  world  which  is  different 
from  the  mechanical  forces.  There  is  an  energy 
which  produces  what  we  call  advance  and  im- 
provement, which  has  transformed  matter  into 
mind  and  mind  into  soul. 

The  law  of  accident  is  confessedly  unequal  to 
the  task  of  accounting  for  the  continued  better- 
ment from  original  star  dust. 

There  has  been  in  the  whole  evolutionary 
development  a  straining  toward  melioration. 
Nature  is  not  merely  a  dead  play  of  atoms ;  there 


124  The  Unexplored  Self 

is  ever  a  striving  toward  beauty  and  charm. 
Each  stage  of  development  is  higher  than  the 
preceding.  The  last  of  nature's  products  are  the 
most  interesting  and  wonderful.  Everywhere 
there  is  evidence  of  a  something  that  makes  for 
higher  values. 

So  a  babe  is  more  than  a  composite  of  his 
parents  and  his  ancestors.  There  is  a  non- 
ancestral  quantity  which  makes  him  unique. 
A  man's  biography,  his  life  history,  is  more  than 
the  sum  of  his  inheritances  and  his  environment. 
There  has  been,  underneath  his  own  personality, 
a  reaching  up  toward  perfection. 


All  of  these  external  evidences,  however,  are 
entirely  secondary  in  comparison  with  the  evi- 
dence that  is  borne  by  the  personal  experience. 
Within  himself  a  man  finds  dissatisfaction  with 
the  low  and  the  weak.  He  craves  life  and  that 
more  abundantly.  He  looks  to  greater  perfection. 
He  demands  advance. 

Conscience  has  been  made  a  by-word  because 
too  often  called  upon  as  a  deus  ex  machina  to 
teach  the  soul.  I  do  not  think  that  conscience  can 
be  defined  as  an  infallible  instructor.  It  does  not 
say,  This  is  right;  but  it  is  ever  asking,  Is  this 
right? — Is  this  good  enough?  It  is  the  unquiet 
factor  in  the  make-up  which  urges  onward. 

Those  who  rely  upon  the  evidence  of  evolution 


The  Communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  125 

alone  to  establish  a  spirit  within  the  world  have 
missed  the  really  convincing  witness  which  is  the 
man's  own  self. 

For  a  long  time,  men,  in  seeing  a  pebble  fall  to 
the  ground,  assumed  that  that  event  was  isolated; 
and  so  in  regard  to  a  second  pebble  and  a  third. 
Then  came  the  penetration  which  proclaimed 
that  there  was  a  single  force  acting  upon  every- 
thing, giving  a  resultant  tendency  to  fall.  Thus 
was  stated  the  universal  law  of  gravitation. 

It  is  possible  to  think  likewise  that  the  impulse 
which  any  particular  man  has  for  better  things  is 
isolated,  is  an  impulse  in  himself  alone;  and  so  in 
regard  to  the  aspiration  of  a  second  man  and  so 
with  the  yearning  of  a  third  man.  But  in  time 
there  comes  the  teaching  that  it  is  a  single  force 
that  is  present  in  all  men  striving  to  push  them 
up.  This  states  the  indwelling  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 


One  may  name  and  define  this  increment  in  the 
world's  life  as  the  Will.  Some  split  the  single 
world-spirit  into  a  gradation  of  forces.  They 
start  with  the  mechanical  and  go  step  by  step 
through  the  chemical  and  the  crystalline  to  the 
vital.  Then,  they  say,  appear  the  blind  instincts, 
then  the  likings,  then  love,  and  finally  faith  which 
is  a  sense  of  the  ultimate  end. 


126  The  Unexplored  Self 

Some  call  the  spirit  an  inherent  purposive- 
ness  in  things.  Some  say  the  force  acts  upon 
nature  from  the  outside,  others  that  it  is  the 
heart  of  nature.  Some  say  that  the  force  acts 
upon  a  man  from  the  outside,  others  that  the 
force  is  the  very  man  of  very  man,  struggling  for 
expression. 

The  naming  of  the  force  is  less  important  than 
the  fact,  and  I  believe  we  are  justified  in  saying 
that  the  entire  thinking  world  to-day  is  coming 
to  recognize  the  fact,  to  recognize  at  least  a 
plus,  an  addition  to  the  physical  and  chemical 
energies. 

The  aim  of  Christian  inspiration  is  to  obtain  the 
full  benefit  of  this  force.  Christianity  believes 
that  there  is  working  out  something  worth  while 
in  the  world  and  therefore  speaks  of  it  as  the 
divine  spirit,  the  Holy  Spirit.  While  the  Old 
Testament  regarded  it  as  exceptional,  in  the  New 
Testament  it  becomes  a  recognized  personal  aid 
which  can  be  depended  upon,  and  can  be  a  per- 
manent asset  in  the  religious  life  of  him  who  will 
have  faith  in  it. 

We  may  repeat  with  new  confidence  that  no 
man  needs  to  stand  or  to  fight  alone.  There  is 
within  him  the  same  patient  force  which  hewed 
the  world  out  of  chaos,  which  is  bringing  the 
flowers  out  of  the  black  earth,  which  is  taming 
the  beast  into  the  man  and  is  converting  man 
into  a  child  of  the  Most  High. 


The  Communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  127 

7 

A  striking  illustration  of  the  confidence  which 
the  early  Christians,  ''the  Church  Fathers,"  had 
in  the  continued  leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the 
daring  way  in  which  they  set  one  side  a  part  of  the 
Mosaic  Decalogue  and  substituted  a  custom  of 
their  own  origination.  With  no  accompaniment  of 
portents  there  came  to  them  a  deeper  revelation 
which  superseded  that  of  Sinai.  I  refer  to  the  ob- 
servance of  Sunday  in  place  of  the  Sabbath  Day. 

This  was  not  a  mere  unimportant  modifying  of 
the  Fourth  Commandment.  We  keep  the  Jewish 
Sabbath  neither  in  the  hours,  nor  in  the  day,  nor 
in  the  principle.  Our  Lord's  Day  is  a  day  of 
uprising,  of  resurrection. 

The  old  Sabbath  provided  new  strength  by  ces- 
sation from  labor;  our  Sunday  finds  labor  light- 
ened by  the  thought  of  a  goal.  The  Sabbath  gave 
rest  from  work;  Sunday  furnishes  zest  in  work. 
A  day  spent  in  sleeping  will  fulfil  the  require- 
ments of  the  Sabbath ;  worship  and  a  new  contact 
with  God  are  necessary  for  keeping  Sunday. 

I  mention  this  as  an  instance  where  an  observ- 
ance is  authoritative  not  because  it  is  backed  by 
proof  texts  but  because  it  is  sanctioned  by  the 
inner  consciousness  of  every  one  who  responds  to 
the  improvement  impulse. 

Christianity  would  not  have  one  go  into  the 
battles    of    morality    without    obtaining   the   in- 


128  The  Unexplored  Self 

spiration  that  comes  from  the  fact  of  a  great 
enterprise. 

It  would  say,  Let  a  man  recognize  his  yearning 
for  better  things  as  a  part  of  a  great  world  yearn- 
ing, the  great  World  Impulse. 

It  would  say,  Let  him  respond  to  the  inward 
suggestions  to  service  and  kindliness,  for  it  is 
to  engage  on  the  side  of  God's  eternal  effort. 

It  would  say,  Let  him  speak  what  the  spirit  tells 
him  to  speak,  and  if  it  is  truly  the  spirit's  prompt- 
ing, his  words  shall  have  a  place  among  the 
treasured  words  of  the  Book  of  Books. 


8 


This  Gospel  meaning  of  inspiration,  of  the 
communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  puts  a  reality  into 
prayer  which  liturgies  and  forms  of  worship  are 
in  danger  of  losing. 

When  I  was  a  theological  student  we  learned 
that  there  were  five  elements  in  prayer.  These 
were,  if  I  remember  them  aright,  adoration, 
thanksgiving,  petition,  intercession,  and  confession. 
But  no  one  taught  me,  at  least  in  any  way  to 
make  me  see  it,  that  the  principal  part  in  prayer 
was  not  the  human  part  but  the  divine  part,  not  a 
speaking  but  a  being  spoken  to.  When  prayer 
becomes  a  true  communion,  it  is  this  inner  yearn- 
ing which  we  have  called  an  energy,  a  divine  spirit 
— it  is  this  inner  impulse  that  is  finding  voice. 

We  may  reverently  say  that  when  a  man  speaks 


The  Communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit  129 

out  his  best  wishes  and  his  noblest  desires,  it  is 
in  an  actual  sense  the  divine  which,  as  well  as  can 
be  through  the  particular  earthly  medium,  is  ut- 
tering the  world  yearning. 

Petition  has  its  place  and  one  who  believes  in  a 
personal  spirit  which  permeates  the  world  will  no 
more  refrain  from  preferring  a  request  lest  he  be 
attempting  to  interrupt  the  immutable  law  of 
causality  than  he  would  refrain  from  making  a 
request  to  a  human  being  for  the  same  reason. 
Those  who  believe  that  a  man's  acts  are  in  an 
unbreakable  cause-effect  chain,  nevertheless  make 
requests  and  thank  their  fellow-beings.  But 
prayer  is  more  than  petition,  adoration,  and  the 
rest.  It  is  communion — a  mutual  communion 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  with  the  God  of  all.  God 
as  well  as  man  speaks. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  ATROPHY  OF  DEATH 


IN  treating  the  subject  of  immortality  I  shall  not 
attempt  to  rehearse  the  usual  so-called  proofs. 
There  are  many  hints  and  indications,  not 
convincing  separately,  but  which,  when  put 
together  as  so  many  strands,  make  for  some  minds 
a  support  of  belief.  A  rope  of  many  strands  it  is 
not  my  intention  to  weave. 

Our  attempt  will  be  to  present  such  a  view  of 
life  that  the  tomb  will  be  seen  empty  through 
the  very  potency  of  personality  which  earth  can- 
not entomb.  It  is  the  view  of  life  which  deter- 
mines the  view  of  death. 

When  life  is  looked  at  as  a  small  and  inconse- 
quential thing  and  when  existence  is  viewed  as  a 
mere  incident,  then  almost  any  object  is  sufficient 
to  act  as  a  barrier  and  from  such  a  standpoint  the 
doctrine  of  immortality  seems  indeed  presump- 
tuous. But  when  life  and  its  consciousness  are 
seen  as  stretching  up  into  the  reality  of  things, 
then  the  physical  estimates  and  the  earthy  limi- 

130 


The  Atrophy  of  Death  131 

tat  ions  dwindle  and  become  insignificant.  A 
rock  can  stay  the  pebble's  flight,  but  the  momen- 
tum of  a  star  will  catch  up  and  carry  along  a 
planetary  system. 

It  is  the  large  view  of  life  which  swallows  up  the 
obstacle  of  death.  When  life  is  seen  to  be  a 
swelling  impetuous  flood,  then  the  mill-dam  which 
would  have  been  a  complete  block  to  the  trickling 
rivulet  is  overwhelmed  in  oblivion.  The  garden 
wall  that  bounds  the  world  for  the  unfledged 
nestling  is  of  small  importance  to  the  winged 
child  of  the  air. 

The  mistake  is  made  of  trying  to  establish  first 
the  fact  of  immortality  and  from  this  basis  to 
prove  the  value  of  life.  In  this  way  both  the 
immortality  and  the  value  are  placed  in  jeopardy. 
Christ's  way  and  the  right  way  is  to  make  one 
appreciate  the  greatness  of  life  first.  If  this 
greatness  is  once  grasped,  then  the  impossibility 
of  death  as  the  goal  and  the  end,  appears  at  once. 


What  we  shall  try  to  do  then,  is  to  make  this 
Christian  point  of  view  clear.  This  means  that 
experience  is  to  be  enlarged  beyond  curtail- 
ment through  corporal  dissolution.  When  the 
sense  of  the  preciousness  of  life  has  come  first, 
faith  finds  wings  to  rise  above  and  beyond  the 
grave. 

We  spoke  of  this  as  the  Christian  point  of  view, 


132  The  Unexplored  Self 

because  in  this  teaching  of  the  individual  worth  of 
man  as  the  child  of  God,  Christ  struck  out  a  new 
path  and  founded  a  new  religion.  When  he 
showed  that  the  individual  life  is  of  great  and  of 
divine  worth,  death  was  swallowed  up  in  victory. 

This  is  perhaps  one  of  the  primary  meanings  of 
Jesus'  own  voluntary  sacrifice.  Greater  than  the 
fact  of  death  were  the  demands  of  his  larger  life. 
Physical  death  may  therefore  even  contribute  to 
the  larger  life  and  enable  one  to  live  more.  The 
purpose  of  life  may  require  physical  death  for  its 
carrying  out. 

From  this  point  of  view  is  caught  the  richer 
meaning  of  the  exultant  cry:  O  death,  where  is 
thy  sting?  O  death,  where  is  thy  victory?  In 
the  pagan  world  death  had  been  spoken  of  as  the 
conqueror  of  all.  Death  had  been  the  crushing 
rejoinder  to  every  aspiration  and  to  every  lover  of 
life.  From  the  new  point  of  view  death  itself  was 
impressed  into  the  service  of  a  larger  life  that 
flooded  into  and  filled  up  all  the  days  and  years  of 
earthly  existence.  From  the  new  point  of  view 
the  great  devourer  was  devoured. 

The  same  tidings  comes  to  Prometheus  in  the 
song  in  Moody's  Fire-Bringer: 

Of  wounds  and  sore  defeat 
I  made  my  battle  stay. 
Winged  sandals  for  my  feet 
I  wove  of  my  delay. 
Of  weariness  and  fear 
I  made  my  shouting  spear. 


The  Atrophy  of  Death  133 

Of  loss  and  doubt  and  dread 
And  swift  oncoming  doom, 
I  made  a  helmet  for  my  head 
And  a  floating  plume. 
From  the  shutting  mist  of  death, 
From  the  failure  of  the  breath, 
I  made  a  battle  horn  to  blow 
Across  the  fields  of  over-throw. 


When  the  distinction  between  the  Christian 
teaching  of  immortality  and  the  usual  philosophi- 
cal arguments,  such  as  that  from  the  indivisibility 
of  the  soul,  is  considered  a  little  carefully,  it  will 
be  seen  how  much  more  satisfying  and  how  much 
more  stimulating  is  the  standpoint  of  the  Gospel. 

The  scientific  discussions  of  immortality,  even 
if  convincing,  leave  men  indifferent  because  they 
do  not  include  the  idea  of  preciousness  anywhere. 
They  give  mere  indestructibility.  Few  would 
care  for  eternal  existence  if  there  were  to  be  noth- 
ing but  continued  existence  in  it. 

The  Christian  measurement  of  life  is  not  in 
terms  of  long  measure  alone.  It  includes  breadth 
and  height.  The  word  immortality  leads  men  to 
look  at  life  in  one  dimension  only.  The  Kingdom 
of  Heaven  shows  life  extending  in  every  dimen- 
sion. If  resurrection  means  merely  an  extension 
of  life  in  the  direction  where  death  had  seemed  to 
cut  it  off,  the  message  of  resurrection  could  easily 
be  questioned  as  a  doubtful  blessing.     It  is  the 


134  The  Unexplored  Self 

something  better  in  the  resurrection  which  makes 
us  look  forward  to  it  so  gladly. 

Christ's  raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  dead,  for 
instance,  was  a  feeble  boon,  bringing  him  and  his 
friends  little  benefit,  compared  with  the  fuller  life 
which  it  was  Christ's  mission  to  proclaim  to  the 
world. 

Martha,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  was  inclined  to 
think  of  life  in  a  single  dimension  and  said  of  her 
brother:  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the 
resurrection  at  the  last  day.  Jesus  said  unto  her : 
I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life. 

Jesus'  work  was  not  to  perpetuate  longevity, 
but  it  was  to  expand  man's  being  into  the  higher 
reaches  of  the  divine,  to  divinaie  man,  if  the  word 
may  be  allowed.  The  divinated  life  was  the 
Christian  life  and  over  such  a  life  death  has  no 
more  dominion. 

The  word  immortality  is  therefore  a  petty  word 
as  compared  with  the  more  abundant  life  which 
Christ  meant  men  to  appreciate. 

If  some  one  should  sometime  discover  an  elixir 
of  life  to  postpone  katabolism  indefinitely,  his  gift 
to  man  might  be  less  than  a  blessing — might  even 
be  a  curse.  The  helpful  gift  to  man  is  not  so  much 
length  of  life  as  the  high  and  the  broad  life,  the 
life  with  meaning. 

I  remember  that  as  children,  we  used  to  hear  the 
Turkish  soldiers  in  the  garrison  shout  in  unison: 
"May  our  Padishah  live  a  thousand  years." 
Three   times   in   succession   was   this   cry   given 


The  Atrophy  of  Death  135 

every  evening  as  a  part  of  the  regular  drill.  The 
absurdity  of  the  thousand  years  has  brought  them 
to  modify  the  cry  so  that  now  the  shout  is :  "  May 
our  Padishah  live  many  years,"  but  even  so  the 
fulfilment  of  the  request  is  not  an  unmixed 
advantage.  The  leader  of  the  people  needs  not 
so  much  length  of  days  as  to  be  touched  with  the 
spirit  of  sympathy  for  the  lowest  and  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  perceiving  a  great  preciousness  in 
each  soul. 

Christ,  therefore,  was  justified  in  saying  to 
Martha,  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life. 
Martha  was  looking  forward  dimly  to  a  remote 
day,  but  he  had  made  the  heavenly  life  a  possi- 
bility of  the  immediate  present.  If  men  caught 
the  meaning  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  the  new 
life  could  begin  for  them  at  once.  He  accordingly 
continues  with  the  words  which  to  many  have 
seemed  so  difficult:  Whosoever  believeth  on  me 
though  he  were  dead  yet  shall  he  live,  and  who- 
soever liveth  and  believeth  on  me  shall  never  die. 


When  the  onward  progress  of  anything  is  inter- 
rupted by  an  obstacle,  one  way  to  do  is  to  remove 
the  obstacle.  Another  way  is  so  to  increase  the 
mass  of  the  advancing  force  that  the  obstacle  is 
lost  sight  of.  This  was  Christ's  way  of  over- 
coming death. 

The  special  point  which  is  to  be  made  is  that 


136  The  Unexplored  Self 

any  argument  for  life  after  death,  not  based  on  the 
good  of  life,  is  unconvincing  and  that  the  good  of 
life  does  not  depend  on  immortality  but  is  the 
basis  for  the  hope  of  immortality.  It  is  belief  in 
the  significance  of  the  present  existence  which  pre- 
cedes faith  in  a  larger  life  above  this  life. 

It  is  a  difficult  belief  at  times  and  yet  a  valid 
one,  and  the  core  of  the  glad  tidings  of  great  joy 
is  this  very  meaning  of  existence.  It  is  a  belief  in 
the  good  of  life  but  not  a  blind  belief,  blind  to  the 
pain  of  life.  It  is  not  a  superficial  belief  which  has 
smoothed  over  the  evils.  It  is  a  faith  in  life  which 
remains  unquenched  even  though  all  the  vials  of 
earth's  sorrows  be  poured  upon  it. 

Such  a  faith  means  the  saving  of  the  world. 
When  men  believe  that  things  well  done  are 
greatly  worth  doing,  salvation  is  at  hand.  That 
men  have  a  personal  part  in  the  purpose  of  things 
is  the  message  to  mankind  of  Jesus'  life  and  death, 
and  it  is  this  God-relation  which  rolls  the  stone 
away  from  the  door  of  the  tomb. 

We  accept  Christ's  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
therefore,  not  on  the  testimony  of  Galilean  Jews. 
The  assurance  is  not  built  upon  the  evidence  of 
witnesses  who  cannot  be  subjected  to  cross- 
examination.  We  know  that  the  tomb  failed  to 
retain  his  spirit,  not  because  the  women  looked 
and  saw  it  empty.  We  believe  in  the  resurrection 
of  Christ  because  he  has  convinced  us  of  the  per- 
manence of  love  and  the  eternity  of  good. 

When  through  participation  we  learn  his  love 


The  Atrophy  of  Death  137 

for  men,  the  reality  of  men  and  of  ourselves  comes 
as  a  new  insight.  The  divine  in  man  begins  to 
tower  up  above  material  things.  Coax  it,  torture 
it,  crucify  it,  yet  the  self  can  remain  serene  and  the 
goodness  unchanged.  When  we  live  these  things, 
then  we  begin  to  know  that  holiness  and  virtue  and 
righteousness  are  as  real  in  the  world  as  are  iron 
and  lead. 


How  shall  one  set  to  work  to  prove  immortality? 

There  is  no  course  of  argument  which  of  itself 
can  bring  one  to  accept  the  divinity  of  man. 
Each  one  must  experience  it  for  himself  through  a 
life  of  love,  and  such  a  life  is  its  own  argument  for 
an  eternity  with  a  breadth  and  height  as  well  as  a 
length. 

There  are  no  means  of  proving  this  larger 
immortality  for  which  the  phrase  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  is  more  adequate.  Is  one  without  the 
confidence,  and  would  he  have  it,  let  him  step  out 
into  the  actual  life  of  yearning  and  hope.  Let 
him,  without  ignoring  the  shortcomings  and  bit- 
terness of  life,  learn  its  sweetness  and  its  satis- 
factions. Let  the  tide  of  a  nobler  and  a  better 
being  surge  up  till  it  flows  into  and  brims  over  the 
cup  of  his  own  existence,  and  involuntarily  he  will 
find  his  spirit  looking  confidently  up  with  an 
assurance  that  the  best  is  yet  to  be. 

Realizing  what  a  small  part  of  existence  he 


138  The  Unexplored  Self 

knows,  and  without  any  dogmatism  as  to  the  pre- 
cise form  which  the  fulfilment  of  earth's  meaning 
is  to  take,  he  will,  nevertheless,  know  that  he  has 
already  entered  into  the  eternal  worth.  Weak  as 
he  is,  he  will  know  himself  as  dominating  the 
planets,  suns,  and  stars,  a  part  of  the  same  mind 
which  brought  order  out  of  chaos. 

The  usual  objections  will  appear  in  a  different 
light.  The  immensity  of  space,  rather  than 
depressing  him,  will  make  him  exult  the  more. 
The  multitude  of  humanity  will  contribute  to  his 
exaltation.  The  intelligence  of  the  innumerable 
beasts  will  make  him  rejoice  in  the  power  of 
progress.  His  relation  to  a  less  valuable  past 
will  but  contribute  to  his  acceptance  of  a  more 
valuable  future. 

As  the  sense  of  the  value  of  life  increases  so  will 
increase  the  need  for  its  consummation,  and  death 
will  become  a  subordinate  incident  in  a  more 
inclusive  whole. 


This  faith  is  unscientific,  says  one?  It  is  the 
same  faith  that  enables  an  astronomer  to  know  an 
unseen  planet  which  is  needed  to  account  for 
movements  of  heavenly  bodies.  The  chemist's 
need  for  a  certain  element  to  explain  certain 
phenomena  is  the  exact  measure  of  the  reality  of 
that  element.  The  need  for  the  imponderable 
ether  is  the  measure  of  its  existence.     In  the  world 


The  Atrophy  of  Death  139 

of  science  the  need  determines  the  reality.  In  the 
same  way,  the  fuller  the  human  life  which  one 
lives  the  more  does  he  know  the  need  of  a  larger 
life  to  round  it  out,  and  just  so  real  does  the  larger 
life  become  to  him. 

This  is  not  mysticism  or  rhapsody.  It  is  com- 
mon-sense. It  starts  with  the  axiom  of  the 
preciousness  of  the  individual  man.  The  whole 
Christian  system  is  a  development  of  that 
axiom. 

Our  purpose  can  only  be  to  indicate  the  basis 
and  the  method  for  the  faith  in  immortality. 
The  faith  itself  comes  from  the  personal  appre- 
ciation of  the  value  of  effort  and  of  the  value  of 
kindliness.  This  knowledge  is  personal  but  it 
may  be  as  real  as  anything  in  experience. 

As  we  saw  in  speaking  of  the  death  of  Christ, 
a  death  like  his  becomes  the  most  convincing 
argument  for  the  dominance  of  effort  over  physical 
death.  In  a  less  exalted  way,  however,  is  found 
forced  upon  the  attention  the  fact  of  worth  in  the 
fact  of  death.  From  the  very  sense  of  the  loss 
which  comes  when  a  friend  is  taken  away,  may  be 
argued  the  actuality  of  the  good  that  was  there. 
The  shadow  of  death  is  therefore  but  a  proof  of  the 
light  which  can  cast  the  shadow. 

If  some  object  were  taken  up  toward  the  sun, 
as  it  went  toward  the  light  the  following  eyes 
would  see  that  which  had  been  a  bright  object 
turn  into  blackness  and  emptiness,  but  the  very 


140  The  Unexplored  Self 

blackness  and  emptiness  would  be  evidence  that 
the  light  was  shining  on  the  other  side. 

Our  discussion  has  not  been  an  intricate  one. 
We  have  not  tried  to  trace  reasonings  which  only 
the  learned  can  follow.  The  Christian  basis  for 
immortality  is  one  to  which  the  unlearned  will 
respond  as  naturally  as  the  scholar.  What  is 
called  for  is  knowledge  from  personal  experience 
of  the  supremacy  of  love. 


In  closing  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  suggest 
an  analogy  which  is  something  more  than  an 
analogy.  As  against  the  temptation  to  measure 
human  accomplishments  by  the  magnitude  and 
not  by  the  exactitude,  there  is  a  sense  in  which  it 
may  be  said  that  lives  here  are  projected  upon  a 
canvas,  an  immense  unseen  canvas.  It  is  some- 
thing like  the  way  in  which  the  pictures  on  a  lan- 
tern slide  are  thrown  upon  a  curtain. 

One  who  was  engaged  in  making  the  lantern 
slides  might  be  tempted  to  shirk  the  details  and  be 
careless  about  the  fine  angles  and  the  little  dis- 
tortions. It  would  be  in  place  to  speak  a  word  of 
caution,  that  the  petty  marks,  seeming  so  insignif- 
icant, will  take  on  a  different  importance  when 
seen  in  the  destined  size.  The  integrity  and 
honesty,  the  right  spirit  in  the  daily  round  of  little 
duties  will  appear  in  a  very  different  way  when 
thrown  upon  the  canvas  of  eternity. 


The  Atrophy  of  Death  141 

This  analogy  is  in  line  with  the  thought  that 
there  is  a  height  and  breadth  to  this  life  as  well  as 
length.  It  cannot  be  described  in  terms  of  earth. 
Whenever  the  great  motives  enter  into  its  acts, 
this  life  must  be  called  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven, 
and  when  a  man  has  understood  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven,  death  is  no  more. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  ARMOR  OF  LIGHT 


THE  main  body  of  Christian  teaching  has 
already  been  covered.  There  are,  how- 
ever, many  supplementary  points  which  reflect 
light  upon  the  method  and  purpose  of  Christ- 
ianity. 

The  words,  the  armor  of  light,  are  used  by  Paul 
writing  to  the  Romans  in  the  appeal :  Let  us  put 
on  the  armor  of  light.  The  subject,  then,  breathes 
a  militant  spirit. 

There  are  many  who  become  suspicious  at  the 
first  hint  of  an  appeal  to  the  emotions.  They  dis- 
trust excitement,  and  exhortation  is  preachy. 
They  exalt  calmness  and  deliberation.  They  pre- 
fer evolution  to  revolution.  They  are  annoyed 
at  a  call  to  arms. 

There  is  no  pleasure  in  being  a  prophet  of  dis- 
aster, but  one  of  the  gravest  dangers  of  to-day  is 
the  prevalent  complacent  optimism.  Difficult  is 
it  to  make  people  understand  that  the  world  may 

142 


The  Armor  of  Light  143 

grow  worse,  that  inventions  and  enlightenment 
are  compatible  with  decadence. 

Men  have  too  easily  thrown  themselves  back 
upon  the  theory  of  evolution,  supposing  that 
according  to  that  doctrine,  progress  is  assured. 
They  forget  that  often  and  often  the  fittest  to  sur- 
vive have  not  been  the  noblest.  Advance  is  not 
inevitable.  An  entire  species  or  an  entire  race 
may  follow  natural  causes  and  degenerate. 

Wealth  and  resources  bring  special  evils  and 
dangers,  unless  there  develops  a  commensurate 
direction  and  control  of  the  new  power.  Indif- 
ferentism  to  the  claims  of  righteousness  bodes 
more  ill  to-day  than  does  scepticism  or  atheism. 
If  ever  there  was  a  need  for  the  war  spirit  and  for 
the  fighting  instinct,  it  is  now. 


Monarchical  tyranny  and  mediaeval  blood- 
thirstiness  are  things  of  the  past;  but  it  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  young  men  and  young  women  in  our  land 
are  being  taken  away  to  lives  of  wretchedness. 
No  fiery  patriot  ever  had  more  cause  for  cry- 
ing out  at  the  ruthlessness  of  the  oppressor  and 
for  proclaiming  the  need  of  resolute  and  instant 
arming. 

If  a  man  has  a  desire  for  unemotional  Christian- 
ity let  him  pass  from  history  to  the  tales  and 
myths  of  monsters  and  dragons  which  required 


144  The  Unexplored  Self 

annual  doles  of  human  lives  and  justified  deeds  of 
prowess  and  daring,  and  then  let  him  see  if  the 
slavery  and  misery  to-day  do  not  justify  the 
ringing  of  the  tocsin. 

Let  a  man  look  back  to  his  childhood  days,  if 
he  must  needs  go  so  far,  and  recall  any  stories 
of  ogres  and  giants  which  awakened  within  him 
quick  sympathy  for  the  victims,  where  he  eagerly 
armed  himself  with  the  rescuer  and  avenger,  and 
then  let  him  ask  if  those  fabulous  descriptions  of 
torment  went  beyond  the  actual  events  in  modern 
civilization. 

It  is  well  to  be  reasonable,  but  under  the  circum- 
stances and  with  the  knowledge  that  the  leave- 
things-alone  doctrine  will  not  bring  improvement, 
the  most  reasonable  thing  is  to  raise  the  cry  of 
battle. 

The  parent  is  in  a  position  to  tell  how  often  it 
becomes  a  fight  for  the  child  and  how  often  the 
child  is  lost.  The  preachers  and  workers  will  tell 
how  often  it  is  a  fight  for  the  men  and  women 
and  how  seldom  men  and  women  are  won  back. 
The  self  will  tell  how  overwhelming  at  times  is 
the  power  of  passion,  and  how  treacherous  is  the 
assault  of  temptation. 

It  is  indifferentism  and  false  optimism  that  has 
wrung  the  heart  of  every  lover  of  his  people. 
Men  to-day  cry,  peace,  peace,  when  there  is  no 
peace.  The  appeal  of  Christianity  should,  if 
possible,  be  sounded  out  on  a  trumpet  to  start  the 


The  Armor  of  Light  145 

blood  bounding  through  the  veins  and  to  make  men 
leap  as  soldiers,  to  follow  the  patriot  of  humanity. 


Aside  from  its  militant  spirit,  there  is  contained 
in  the  subject  of  this  chapter  a  disclosure  of  an 
important  method  in  Christian  warfare. 

The  word  armor  to-day,  instead  of  calling  to 
mind  a  field  of  battle,  brings  to  memory  silent  and 
musty  halls,  museums  where  the  relics  of  the  past 
are  exhibited.  It  quite  probably  invokes  long  rows 
of  awkward  figures,  curiously  clad  and  equipped, 
stiff,  rigid,  and  heavy,  fossils  of  extinct  activities. 

There  are  certainly  many  to  whom  the  call  to 
put  on  the  armor  of  light  is  an  appeal  from  the 
dead  past.  They  like  the  valor  of  the  Christian 
knight,  but  think  his  accoutrements  out  of  date, 
not  modern  enough  to  meet  present-day  require- 
ments. 

"We  have  new  social  trends.  We  have  statis- 
tics. We  understand  criminology.  We  have  a 
view  of  the  whole  panorama  of  history.  We  have 
a  science  of  religion.  We  are  able  therefore  to 
find  a  better  rallying  cry,  and  to  devise  up-to- 
date  methods.  Why  hark  back  to  this  ancient 
appeal?" 

I  had  a  friend,  a  graduate  of  a  great  university, 
one  who  had  taken  his  master's  degree  in  phi- 
losophy magna  cum  laude — a  friend  who  had  been 


146  The  Unexplored  Self 

taught  to  believe  that  the  name  of  Jesus  would 
fade  more  and  more  as  society  faced  new  demands 
and  found  new  materials. 

Many  there  are  like  him  who  think  that  we  are 
in  a  position  to  work  out  a  universal  and  improved 
religion,  one  which  shall  be  as  superior  to  any  of 
the  ancient  religions  as  modern  projectiles  are  to 
primitive  slings  and  arrows. 

It  is  because  there  is  this  very  demand  for  pro- 
gressive ways  of  dealing  with  evil,  the  common 
enemy,  that  the  words  of  our  subject  are  peculiarly 
illuminating.  They  show  the  modernity  and 
eternity  of  the  Christian  principles. 

The  word  armor  has  in  it  indeed  the  smack  of 
archaic  times,  but  the  phrase,  the  armor  of  light, 
brings  out  the  timeless  character  of  the  Christian 
method  of  warfare. 

The  phrase  does  not  mean  bright  armor  nor 
shining  armor.  It  means  what  it  says :  the  armor 
of  light — take  light  as  your  weapon  of  offence  and 
defence. 


The  appeal  is  in  line  with  the  very  latest 
methods  of  warfare,  whether  military,  hygienic, 
or  educational;  whether  social,  commercial,  or 
religious.  The  method  of  Christianity,  far  from 
being  obsolete,  is  actually  the  most  efficient  to-day 
and  will  be  increasingly  efficient  to-morrow  and 
in  the  morrow  of  morrows. 


The  Armor  of  Light  147 

For  modern  iron-clads  and  for  fortresses,  the 
great  search-lights  are  indispensable  in  guarding 
against  attack.  The  powerful  rays  pass  over  the 
surface  of  the  waters,  or  peer  into  the  coves  and 
bays  along  the  shore,  or  follow  the  roads  and 
pierce  into  the  nooks  and  valleys.  They  scan  the 
country  for  miles  around  and  thus  turn  its  dark- 
ness into  day. 

At  the  seat  of  war  I  have  looked  out  at  a  dark 
horizon  even  thirty  miles  away  and  seen  bursting 
over  the  brow  of  the  hills  and  shooting  up  toward 
the  zenith,  like  the  gleams  of  an  aurora  borealis, 
the  great  rays  from  invisible  search-lights,  showing 
that  the  enemy  from  forts  on  the  other  side  was 
keeping  careful  watch  on  that  line  of  hills  lest  a 
night  attack  be  attempted. 

In  coping  with  the  present  day  explosives  the 
armor  of  light  means  as  much  to  the  battle-ships 
and  the  fortresses  as  do  the  steel  plates  and 
bastions. 

There  is,  therefore,  here  a  modern  adaptation. 
The  need  of  light  for  guidance  is  familiar,  because 
in  ancient  times  was  written:  Thy  word  is  a 
lamp  unto  my  way  and  a  light  unto  my  path. 
The  need  of  light  for  warmth  and  for  life  is  known ; 
but  this  is  an  idea  too  little  associated  with 
Christianity,  the  use  of  light  for  armor. 

While  the  natural  bent  is  to  trust  in  darkness  as 
the  better  weapon,  and  the  primary  impulse  is 
burrowing  and  hiding,  it  is  the  impulse  of  those 


148  The  Unexplored  Self 

unconfident  in  their  strength.     The  better  method 
is  to  find  safety  in  openness,  in  frankness,  in  light. 


There  have  been  periods  when  some  spokesmen 
of  Christianity,  losing  faith  in  the  victory  of  right, 
have  feared  the  truth,  have  opposed  enlighten- 
ment as  dangerous,  and  have  dreaded  the  dis- 
coveries of  science.  There  have  been  periods  of 
thought  censorship,  of  secret  conclaves,  of  inquisi- 
torial darkness. 

There  may  be  some  to-day  who  avoid  reasoning 
and  study,  but  true  Christianity  has  ever  con- 
sidered enlightenment  its  sure  weapon  and  de- 
fence. Its  power  and  initiative  perhaps  coming 
from  elsewhere,  its  trustiest  armor  is  light. 

Its  first  step  has  been  to  teach  men  to  read.  It 
has  put  its  safety  into  the  keeping  of  schools  and 
colleges.  It  has  spread  broadcast  learning  and 
education. 

Its  counsel  is,  be  free  to  look  upon  all  sides  of 
life.  Greet  as  an  ally  every  searcher  after  truth. 
Teach  men  to  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall 
make  them  free. 

It  accepts  the  old  Delphic  idea:  explore  the 
self,  and  finds  the  resulting  knowledge  leading  one 
to  know  life,  to  know  men,  and  to  know  God. 

Only  through  lack  of  trust  in  Christianity  arise 
fears  because  some  men  are  studying  the  Bible  as 
a  book  of  history.     Only  those  who  have  missed 


The  Armor  of  Light  149 

the  spirit  of  Christ  shrink  from  the  alembic  of 
science. 

Christianity  can  be  brought  up  to  the  wider 
outlook  of  the  most  advanced  university.  Its 
message  is  also  for  the  profoundest  questioners 
of  existence.  It  will  ever  use  the  accoutrements 
of  the  broadest  knowledge  and  the  clearest  insight 
into  reality.  Its  most  effective  armor  is  the 
armor  of  light. 

It  is  a  trite  remark  that  the  forked  lightning  of 
Jupiter  cannot  compare  in  effectiveness  with  the 
rays  of  the  sun,  for  enlightenment  can  of  itself 
destroy  evils  and  end  suffering. 

Those  who  would  crush  and  massacre  are  at 
great  pains  to  keep  the  facts  from  being  known. 
But  send  a  Montefiore  to  Damascus,  let  the  world 
know  of  the  Bulgarian  outrages,  have  George 
Kennan  report  on  things  in  Siberia,  show  the  fact 
of  cruelty  and  misrule  in  the  Congo,  and  already 
there  is  a  beginning  of  amelioration. 

Would  one  succor  the  child-laborer,  let  him 
bring  out  the  facts  to  stare  the  country  in  the  face. 
Let  wrongs  be  known  and  felt,  and  remedial  legis- 
lation is  an  easy  thing. 


The  upheavals  from  the  recent  business  and 
political  investigations  show  that  though  the  first 
effects  of  exposing  evils  may  prove  disturbing  and 


150  The  Unexplored  Self 

wracking,  and  though  we  may  distrust  the  men 
with  the  muck-rakes  if  they  are  intent  on  making 
private  gain  out  of  the  exposures — yet  in  the 
long  run  the  effect  of  bringing  into  the  open 
unwholesome  conditions  in  the  sweat-shops  and 
factories,  of  bringing  into  the  open  immoral  con- 
ditions in  the  crowded  tenements,  is  beneficial. 

If  light  be  turned  into  the  dark  cellars  and 
covered  passages,  there  will  be  a  scampering  of 
vermin  and  an  extinction  of  disease  bacilli.  To 
realize  the  truth  of  all  this  we  need  not  go  back  to 
any  particular  scandal;  the  events  of  almost  any 
year  show  how  evil  depends  on  secrecy — back 
doors,  hidden  transactions,  and  muddied  waters. 

Evil  men  reform  when  there  is  a  likelihood  that 
their  schemes  will  be  brought  to  the  public  view. 
The  works  of  darkness  fear  light  more  than  they 
do  laws  and  legislation. 

In  the  subject  then,  there  is  a  call  to  adopt  an 
armor  which  will  enable  men  to  see  their  true 
allegiance  and  their  true  enemies,  their  true 
duty  and  their  real  dangers.  It  is  an  appeal  to 
throw  what  may  be  called  the  Gospel  of  Light  into 
the  lurking  places  of  wrong. 

The  use  of  publicity  has  been  seriously  urged 
by  some  in  high  councils  as  a  cure  for  our  un- 
equally divided  wealth. 

The  theory  is  that  open  accounts  will  prevent 
the  disproportionate  success  of  a  primary  advan- 
age.     The  theory  has  not  in  mind  the  prevention 


The  Armor  of  Light  151 

of  illegal  transactions  through  this  publicity, 
rather  to  give  an  equal  chance  to  all  in  activity 
and  competition. 

Objections  more  or  less  strong  probably  occur 
at  once  to  urge  against  this  remedy  of  publicity 
in  business  life,  but  we  would  not  be  fair  to  our 
subject  if  its  mention  were  omitted. 


What  has  been  said  so  far  is  important  for 
a  right  understanding  of  Christianity's  attitude 
toward  science  and  for  appreciating  the  work  of 
Christianity  in  society.  There  is,  however,  a 
meaning  which  is  personal. 

There  are  many,  perhaps  more  than  is  usually 
realized,  who  as  individuals  are  trusting  to  the 
armor  of  darkness — saying:  "There  is  no  need 
for  one  to  join  openly  with  any  band  of  Christians. 
If  he  publicly  declares  himself  he  will  be  in  the 
broad  light  an  easy  target  for  criticism.' ' 

There  are  many  who  think  to  themselves: 
"All  men  do  wrong  and  I  may  do  wrong;  then 
better  to  remain  under  cover." 

Some  have  a  new  beatitude:  "Blessed  is  he 
who  adopts  no  standards,  for  he  will  never  be 
found  lacking."  And  they  continue:  "It  is 
safer  to  promise  the  self  alone  and  to  make  no 
outward  profession;  any  failure  then  will  be  less 
conspicuous." 

The   protection   of   secrecy   is   the   instinctive 


152  The  Unexplored  Self 

thought  and  often  is  it  said:  "Some  things  I  do 
which  others  might  consider  misdeeds;  these  are 
better  done  covertly.  As  a  whole  I  will  choose 
the  shelter  of  darkness." 

In  the  stories  of  the  old  frontier  warfare  the 
best  defence  was  not  the  darkness  of  night-time, 
but  the  light  of  day.  The  pioneer  looked  with 
dread  on  the  approach  of  night.  And  when  night 
came  the  place  for  the  camp  was  not  a  hidden 
nook  but  the  centre  of  an  open  plain.  It  is  this 
frontiersman  attitude  toward  danger  that  is  the 
best  counsel. 

Natural  is  it  for  men  to  shrink  from  taking  a 
stand  in  the  open.  They  imagine  that  hostile 
eyes  will  be  spying  them  out  from  trees  and 
bushes  around.  They  imagine  that  hostile  hands 
are  eagerly  fixing  their  arrows  in  the  bowstrings, 
ready  to  shoot  at  the  first  opportunity. 

The  advice  is :  Be  bold  and  brave,  courageous 
and  confident,  frank  and  daring;  walk  in  the 
light;  let  not  timidity  become  the  ally  of  the 
lower  nature;  do  not  slink  along  in  the  paths  of 
concealment;  leave  darkness  to  the  companions 
of  darkness. 

There  is  a  similar  thought  in  the  words :  Walk 
as  children  of  light  and  have  no  companionship 
with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather 
even  convict  them,  for  the  things  which  are  done 
by  them  in  secret  it  is  a  sin  even  to  speak  of. 

In  John's  Gospel  we  find  the  words  of  Christ: 


The  Armor  of  Light  153 

And  this  is  the  condemnation  that  light  is  come 
into  the  world  and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than 
light  because  their  deeds  were  evil.  For  every- 
one that  doeth  evil  hateth  the  light,  neither 
cometh  to  the  light  lest  his  deeds  should  be 
reproved. 


8 


There  is  nothing  so  discouraging  to  the  powers 
of  evil  as  to  see  one  walking  in  the  open.  If  a 
man  can  be  brought  into  a  position  where  he 
fears  to  expose  to  view  some  part  of  his  life,  that 
man's  fall  is  almost  a  foregone  conclusion. 

The  sin  and  corruption  of  his  whole  system  will 
gather  at  that  secret  part  and  to  that  hidden  spot 
will  be  drawn  everything  that  can  taint  his 
character.  From  that  point  of  vantage  will  be  sent 
out  the  poisonous  germs  to  disease  the  entire  life. 

In  this  lies  the  benefit  of  confession.  Here  is 
the  good  of  making  a  clean  breast  and  of  saying,  I 
have  been  in  the  wrong.  Such  a  confession 
brings  one  into  the  open;  it  is  putting  on  the 
armor  of  light,  a  guarantee  of  safety. 

This  part  of  the  appeal  is  not  to  those  who  are 
kept  back  by  intellectual  doubts,  not  especially  to 
those  who  are  kept  back  by  pride.  It  is  an  appeal 
to  the  timid,  to  those  who  are  among  temptations 
— temptations  to  moral  laxity,  to  irreligion,  to 
indifference. 


154  The  Unexplored  Self 

It  is  an  appeal  to  those  who  were  formerly, 
perhaps,  identified  as  trying  to  live  the  disciple's 
life,  but  are  now  preferring  not  to  take  an  open 
stand;  to  those  who  wish  to  be  "free"  to  do  little 
misdeeds  if  they  should  so  desire,  "free"  to  depart 
from  the  service  of  God,  "free"  to  forget  their 
fellows.  It  is  an  appeal  to  those  who  are  debating 
whether  to  continue  undeclared  or  to  take  a  stand. 
To  such  men  and  women,  to  such  boys  and  girls 
comes  the  call:  It  is  a  time  of  war;  put  on  the 
armor  of  light. 

The  appeal  should  meet  with  response  from 
every  lover  of  humanity,  and  from  every  one  who 
believes  in  light.  This  last  thought  leads  over  to 
the  next  chapter.  Is  Christianity  a  Gospel  of 
Light? 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  LIFTED  DOME 


WHEN  one  is  out  on  a  bright  June  day  and  the 
hills  and  the  valleys  are  sharply  cut,  when 
the  trees  and  the  grass  seem  to  thrust  themselves 
upon  his  attention,  and  the  brilliant  lights  and 
shades  almost  hurl  themselves  at  his  eyes,  he 
is  tempted  to  ask,  Could  anything  in  the  way 
of  vision  be  added?  When,  however,  his  inquir- 
ing eye  turns  upward  it  finds  hanging  there  a 
canopy. 

On  duller  days  the  covering  looks  silken  so  that 
a  pair  of  scissors  belike  might  snip  it  away  and  dis- 
close what  is  beyond.  At  other  times  it  is  a  beaten 
covering,  a  great  dome  of  metal,  which  one  can 
look  behind  only  by  getting  outside  of  the  world 
entirely.  The  brighter  the  day  the  more  impene- 
trable is  the  dome. 

A  sunlit  stretch  of  country  delights  the  eye  with 
the  wide  horizon  which  it  permits,  but  overhead 
the  dome  strangely  shuts  the  vision  in.  At  night 
darkness  blots   the  landscape  out,   but  lo,   the 

155 


156  The  Unexplored  Self 

impenetrable  dome  is  lifted  off  and  the  view  is 
wondrously  extended. 

The  point  which  I  wish  to  make  out  of  our  sub- 
ject is  that  with  the  dome  lifted  at  night-time 
comes  the  widest  vision;  that  smaller  lights  near 
by  can  swallow  up  immense  luminaries ;  and  that 
brightness  does  not  determine  reality.  It  is  a 
partial  solution  of  the  conflict  between  reason  and 
faith. 

I  remember,  as  a  boy,  reading  a  story  in  which 
the  heroine  had  always  slept  through  the  night  so 
that  she  was  acquainted  only  with  the  light  of 
day.  I  remember  the  terror  with  which  she  was 
said  to  have  seen  for  the  first  time  the  approach  of 
night.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  that  such  an  one 
would  scout  the  idea  of  seeing  more  in  the  dark- 
ness, of  taking  away  the  sun  in  order  to  penetrate 
into  the  blue  dome. 

The  noonday  suggestion  would  rather  be  to 
throw  more  light  into  the  sky;  to  increase  the 
reflectors;  if  possible,  to  turn  some  great  balloon 
into  an  electric  ball  of  flame  and  for  telescopic 
purposes  send  it  up  into  the  blue  sky.  The  sug- 
gestion would  be  to  create  a  second  sun. 

The  cry  would  be  light,  more  light. 


My  attention  was  called  to  this  subject  by  a 
college  poem  with  that  very  title:     "Light,  more 


The  Lifted  Dome  157 

Light."  It  is  a  common  cry  of  the  age.  I 
thought  of  the  anxiety  of  the  heroine  in  the 
story  who  knew  not  the  vaster  visions  of  the 
night-time. 

With  the  cry  for  light  we  are  all  in  sympathy. 
There  is  a  quick  response  on  our  part  when  we 
read  Tennyson's  words : 

But  what  am  I? 
An  infant  crying  in  the  night; 
An  infant  crying  for  the  light, 
And  with  no  language  but  a  cry. 

There  are,  however,  lights  which  prevent  vision 
as  well  as  lights  which  permit  vision.  I  have 
sometimes  sat  upon  a  platform  with  a  light 
directly  in  front  which  shut  out  the  whole  audience 
and  have  wished  that  it  were  possible  to  take 
away  the  light  so  that  I  might  see  the  people. 

Now  this  is  no  mere  analogy  to  which  we  have 
been  working  up.  It  is  a  principle  of  conscious- 
ness and  has  its  repetition  in  all  the  functions  of 
perception. 

In  the  realm  of  vision  the  principle  may  be 
stated  as  follows:  A  strong  light  prevents  the 
perception  of  fainter  lights,  although  the  fainter 
lights  may  often  be  of  greater  importance. 

The  message  is  that  those  who  trust  only  the 
light  of  the  daytime  should  watch  the  miracle 
when  the  sunlight  dies  away,  the  blue  dome  is 
slowly  lifted  off,  and  the  whole  heavenly  host 
begins  to  declare  the  glory  of  the  universe. 


158  The  Unexplored  Self 

With  the  dome  lifted  off  the  standards  which 
'mark  earth's  distances  take  on  a  different  mean- 
ing, and  even  the  distances  between  the  planets 
are  subordinate  to  larger  circuits.  Then  the 
eternal  verities  come  to  view  and  the  star  appears 
by  which  compasses  may  be  fixed  and  terrestrial 
directions  be  verified. 

This  message  of  the  lifted  dome  is,  in  view  of 
the  present-day  morbid  and  frenzied  demand  for 
light,  more  light,  a  vital  one.  Men  are  employing 
the  wrong  emphasis  to  find  out  about  the  more 
spiritual  experiences. 


The  demand  for  light,  more  light,  is  perhaps 
most  intense  and  dominating  during  the  period 
of  youth  when  life- determining  problems  are  up 
for  settlement.  Yet  even  after  practical  interests 
have  crowded  it  into  the  background,  it  remains 
never  wholly  given  up. 

Those  who  are  no  longer  in  the  eager  days  of 
the  first  intellectual  enlightenment,  still  turn  their 
eyes  to  this  point  or  that  as  a  promise  comes  of  a 
new  light  that  is  to  let  them  know  why  things  are ; 
and  repeated  disappointments  are  unable  to  pre- 
vent them  from  nursing  the  ultimate  hope  that 
some  time,  some  day,  the  light  for  which  humanity 
longs  will  flame  out. 

Perhaps  the  feeling  is  less  acute  than  it  was  in 
Tennyson's  day,  but  it  is  deeper  and  more  widely 


The  Lifted  Dome  159 

diffused.  It  is  realized  that  the  mere  crying  will 
not  bring  the  desired  light  any  more  than  it  will 
bring  the  moon  to  the  babe.  We  must  either 
travel  toward  it  or  develop  powers  to  perceive  it; 
so  that  our  special  attention  is  turned  to  pre- 
liminary problems.  The  universal  sympathy, 
however,  with  the  ultimate  problem  remains. 

Even  when  practical  interests  have  crowded 
back  the  quest  for  light,  there  remains  the  deter- 
mination to  make  it  primary  as  soon  as  less  pro- 
found though  more  immediate  wants  have  been 
satisfied.  Those  who  scoff  at  philosophy  still 
cherish  a  secret  worship  for  it,  not  indeed  for  it  as 
it  is  but  for  philosophy  as  it  may  be. 

Our  protest  is  not  against  the  desire  for  light. 
The  strongest  telescopes  are  pointed  in  vain  unless 
light  shines  on  the  object  looked  at.  And  the 
most  powerful  microscopes  are  useless  cylinders 
unless  there  is  a  means  of  throwing  the  reflection 
up  through  the  lenses.  Our  quarrel  is  with  the 
indiscriminate,  ill-considered  cry. 


We  have  many  sources  of  intellectual  enlighten- 
ment. The  network  of  relationship,  of  objective 
inference,  has  stood,  out  in  the  mental  firmament 
as  does  a  great  luminary,  and  it  is  the  assurance  of 
the  relational  factor  upon  which  we  depend  for 
establishing  factuality.  Its  glare,  however,  is 
become   so   intense   as   to    obliterate  lights   less 


160  The  Unexplored  Self 

cumulative,  but  for  certain  purposes  not  less 
important. 

There  are  many  realities  which  become  not  less 
real  but  less  distinct  when  contrasted  with  the 
strongly  focusing  power  of  sequence  and  adduc- 
tion. There  are  many  teachings  of  the  instinct, 
of  love,  of  the  emotions,  which  become  lost  in  the 
bright  reflection  of  scientific  analysis. 

I  can  readily  believe  that  analysis  sufficiently 
protracted  and  reasoning  sufficiently  intense 
could  blot  out  not  only  the  sense  of  floral  and 
rural  beauty,  but  the  pleasure  of  food  and  the  pain 
of  a  toothache,  not  only  patriotism  and  ambition, 
but  also  filial  love,  mother  love,  and  all  the  deepest 
yearnings  of  experience. 

When  thinkers  trust  so  to  the  world  seen  under 
the  concentrative  lights  as  the  only  world  which 
has  any  claim  to  reality,  I  feel  that  in  taking 
brightness  as  the  measure  of  truth  these  men  have 
forgotten  brightness  to  be  a  dependent  variable. 

As  a  result  they  miss  the  profounder  enlighten- 
ment. Many  of  the  more  far-reaching  experiences 
are  dismissed  from  consideration  as  of  little  sig- 
nificance and  the  undercurrents  of  reality  are 
ignored.  No  sufficient  recognition  is  given  to  the 
world  of  consciousness. 


In  humbler  ways  than  by  the  lifted  dome  may 
be  illustrated  this  important  principle  that  the 


The  Lifted  Dome  161 

comparative  feebleness  of  an  experience  has  no 
direct  relation  to  its  actuality. 

One  rainy  night  on  East  Rock  in  New  Haven, 
I  found  a  phosphorescent  stick  of  wood.  The 
stick,  which  was  nearly  two  feet  in  length,  had 
throughout  almost  its  entire  extent  the  strange 
wavy  light  that  is  peculiar  to  phosphorescent 
bodies. 

The  discovery  was  new  to  me  and  filled  me  with 
delight.  I  took  the  stick  home  and  kept  it  moist 
there  for  quite  a  long  while.  In  the  daytime  it 
was  an  uninteresting  bit  of  wood,  but  at  night  or 
in  the  dark,  it  became  a  glowing  tremulous  source 
of  light,  a  fountain  of  radiance. 

Thoreau,  in  his  Maine  Woods,  describes  his 
pleasure  at  finding  some  of  this  phosphorescent 
wood.  He  says :  "I  cut  out  some  little  triangular 
chips,  and  placing  them  in  the  hollow  of  my  hand, 
carried  them  into  the  camp,  waked  my  companion, 
and  showed  them  to  him.  They  lit  up  the  inside 
of  my  hand,  revealing  the  lines  and  the  wrinkles 
and  appearing  exactly  like  coals  of  fire  raised  to 
the  white  heat.  And  I  saw  at  once  how  probably 
the  Indian  jugglers  had  imposed  on  their  people 
and  on  travellers,  pretending  to  hold  coals  of  fire 
in  their  mouths.  ...  I  little  thought  that  there 
was  such  a  light  shining  in  the  wilderness  for 
me." 

James  Russell  Lowell,  in  commenting  on 
Thoreau's  lack  of  observation,  says:  "Till  he 
(Thoreau)    went   to  Maine,   he  had  never  seen 


1 62  The  Unexplored  Self 

phosphorescent  wood,  a  phenomenon  early  famil- 
iar to  most  country  boys." 


The  principle  of  discriminative  sensibility,  for 
which  it  would  be  easy  to  bring  forward  many  more 
illustrations,  explains  one  of  the  common  yet  dif- 
ficult thoughts  of  the  Bible. 

In  the  Gospels  Christ,  having  heard  the  enthu- 
siastic reports  of  his  missionary  disciples,  said: 
I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth, 
that  thou  didst  hide  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
understanding  and  didst  reveal  them  unto  babes. 
Similarly  Paul  writing  to  the  Corinthians  says: 
Ye  behold  your  calling,  brethren,  that  not  many 
wise  after  the  flesh  .  .  .  are  called. 

Many  have  interpreted  these  passages  to  mean 
that  wisdom  was  antagonistic  to  religious  faith — 
that  a  man  could  not  at  the  same  time  be  a 
scientist  and  a  believer  in  Christ. 

There  have  not  been  wanting  apologists  of  the 
Christian  faith  who  have  opposed  reason  and 
denounced  logic.  Many  disciples  have  gloried 
in  their  ignorance  as  though  this  made  them  more 
fit  expounders  of  the  Gospel. 

Those  who  accepted  the  truth  of  these  passages 
began  to  question  the  value  of  wisdom.  Chris- 
tianity seemed  openly  to  boast  of  its  conflict  with 
learning  and  enlightenment.  Many  a  man  appar- 
ently forced  to  choose  between  the  two  rivals, 


The  Lifted  Dome  163 

sadly  but  resolutely  took  enlightenment  in  pref- 
erence to  doctrine. 

A  true  understanding  of  the  principles  of  light 
and  enlightenment,  however,  shows  that  the  con- 
troversy turns  on  the  placing  of  the  lights  rather 
than  on  essential  inconsistencies. 

Multiplying  candle  power  is  not  the  only  way 
to  advance  vision.  Damp  sticks  whose  ugliness 
is  intensified  by  being  made  the  centre  of  calcium 
rays  may  have  it  in  themselves,  nevertheless,  to 
discover  a  still  more  beautiful  radiance  of  their 
own. 

"Hidden  from  the  wise  and  revealed  unto 
babes."  There  is  no  antagonism.  But  there  is 
a  filling  of  the  mind  and  a  fixing  of  the  attention 
which  prevents  understanding. 

Bright  illumination  is  needed  to  read  the  dials 
of  mundane  clocks,  and  artfully  constructed 
search-lights  to  peer  into  the  dark  places  of  the 
earth.  But  when  we  wish  to  establish  the  larger 
meridians  of  measurement  and  to  penetrate  the 
cosmic  mysteries,  the  artificial  lamps  and  even  the 
solar  rays  themselves  are  hindrances  rather  than 
helps. 

We  need  the  conviction  of  the  sense  percep- 
tion and  the  immediate  proof  of  deduction  for 
the  day's  work.  But  when  we  wish  to  grasp  the 
meaning  of  space  and  to  see  the  milestones  in 
the  path  to  eternity,  we  are  more  successful  in  the 
darkness  of  night-time.     It  is  then  that  we  feel  the 


164  The  Unexplored  Self 

reality  of  those  dim  yearnings  and  longings  which 
inspire  us  to  believe  that  existence  has  a  value. 


There  is  one  aspect  in  which  philosophy  is  a 
preventer  of  knowledge  and  inevitably  so.  It 
must  have  been  this  aspect  which  Keats  had  in 
mind  when  he  wrote : 

Do  not  all  charms  fly 
At  the  mere  touch  of  cold  philosophy? 
There  was  an  awful  rainbow  once  in  heaven: 
We  know  her  woof,  her  texture ;  she  is  given 
In  the  dull  catalogue  of  common  things. 
Philosophy  will  clip  an  angel's  wings, 
Conquer  all  mysteries  by  rule  and  line, 
Empty  the  haunted  air  and  the  gnomed  mine — 
Unweave  a  rainbow. 

It  is,  however,  only  in  one  aspect  that  this  is  so. 
For  those  who  live  among  the  present  marvels  of 
her  achievements  science  needs  no  defence.  It 
is  really  in  the  interest  of  greater  knowledge, 
therefore,  that  attention  is  called  to  the  lifted 
dome  and  to  the  everlasting  verities,  which  have 
guided  our  fathers  and  are  so  hung  as  to  be  visible 
to  all  who  come  in  humility  as  children  and  babes 
willing  to  learn. 

There  are  times  when  the  unreasonable  cry  for 
more  light  becomes  wearisome  and  we  wish  that 
the  complainants  might  appreciate  the  reasons 


The  Lifted  Dome  165 

less  capable  of  manipulation  which  make  us 
believe  in  the  reality  of  love,  of  character,  and 
of  personal  destiny. 

It  almost  seems  at  times  as  if  some  of  our  race 
have  approached  the  fury  of  flame-crazed  moths 
whose  inconsiderate  passion  for  light  and  whose 
distressful  flutterings  have  done  grievous  damage. 

There  are,  on  the  other  hand,  many  who,  after 
having  lived  for  years  with  only  the  near  lights 
and  the  artificial  lights,  have  been  forced  through 
some  affliction  out  into  the  dark  and  there,  to 
their  surprise  and  joy,  they  have  rediscovered  the 
ancient  lights  that  will  never  go  out.  The  depart- 
ing sunshine  has  lifted  the  dome  and  given  them 
confidence  in  kindliness  and  in  God. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

DOUBT,  A  SHRINKING  BACK 


THE  literature  of  revelation  heaves  with  the 
effort  to  define  faith.  One  way  to  define  it 
is  to  show  the  opposite  and  for  this  purpose  we 
have  taken  for  our  subject,  Doubt. 

A  student  of  animal  mentality  made  the  experi- 
ment of  shutting  up  different  creatures  in  cages 
whose  doors  could  be  opened  from  inside  through 
simple  devices.  He  found  a  great  difference  in 
the  attitude  toward  the  new  surroundings.  Some 
animals  at  once  set  to  work  to  discover  a  way  out. 
Others  shrank  back  and  seemed  to  be  entirely 
helpless.  Animals  which  in  a  familiar  environ- 
ment might  be  active  and  alert  became  in  the 
unfamiliar  situation  inert.  Uncertainty  inhibited 
activity. 

There  is  this  difference  among  men  also.  If  a 
man  finds  himself  entrapped  as  it  were  among 
strange  dangers  and  movements,  there  are  two 
ways  of  facing  the  situation.  He  may  shrink  back 
wondering  what  is  coming  next,  or  else  he  may 
set  about  to  question  and  discover. 

1 66 


Doubt,  a  Shrinking  Back         167 

Two  scientists,  one  of  whom  has  a  doubting 
temperament  and  the  other  a  questioning  tem- 
perament, are  far  apart  in  their  value  to  the 
science.  The  former  is  satisfied  to  check  inquiry. 
The  latter  has  a  passion  for  enlarged  horizons. 

Two  generals,  one  of  whom  has  a  doubting 
disposition  and  the  other  a  questioning  disposi- 
tion, are  far  apart  in  their  value  to  an  army. 
The  one  is  satisfied  with  preventing  mistakes. 
The  other  insists  on  attempts. 

A  young  man  who  faces  a  proposition  with  a 
doubting  mind  is  as  different  from  one  who  dis- 
plays a  questioning  mind  as  a  dead  wire  is  dif- 
ferent from  a  live  one,  yet  the  attitudes  are 
grievously  confused. 

Many  a  young  man  who  has  been  a  questioner 
in  regard  to  religious  propositions  has  been  per- 
secuted as  a  doubter;  and  many  a  young  man 
who  has  been  a  doubter  has  prided  himself  on 
being  a  questioner. 


A  questioner  is  a  man  with  resilient  trust  in  the 
knowledge  he  has,  emphasizing  the  advantage  in 
hand.  A  doubter  emphasizes  the  ignorance,  and 
his  attitude  results  in  mental  inertia. 

The  difference  is  not  a  matter  of  the  use  of 
logic.  The  doubter  may  be  well  versed  in  logical 
rules.  It  is  in  the  willingness  to  try,  and  for  this 
reason  some  have  said  that  the  doubting  mind 


168  The  Unexplored  Self 

has  a  weak  will.  We  shall  not  go  into  this  discus- 
sion as  it  might  lead  us  far  afield  and  divert 
attention  from  the  main  point. 

The  point  we  are  making  is  that  the  doubting 
temperament  is  to  be  thoughtfully  distinguished 
from  the  questioning.  The  doubter  is  under 
no  call  to  grant  any  basis  of  truth.  It  is 
enough  for  him  to  block  the  inquiry.  But  one 
cannot  question  without  faith,  faith  in  certain 
facts  as  bases,  and  he  will  ere  long  find  himself 
led  to  new  facts. 

The  one  is  passive,  negative,  destructive.  The 
other  is  active,  positive,  constructive. 

Our  subject  presses  home  to  us  because  the 
prevailing  attitude  toward  the  problems  of 
destiny  is  that  of  doubt  rather  than  that 
of  questioning,  and  the  result  is  religious  indif- 
ference. 

There  have  come  down  to  us  certain  beliefs 
from  our  fathers;  beliefs  that  were  the  result  of 
much  thought  and  of  deep  experience;  beliefs 
whose  meaning  no  words  can  carry  and  yet  words 
furnish  almost  the  only  vehicle  of  transportation, 
and  so  these  beliefs  have  come  down  to  us  in 
words. 

The  impulse  of  a  headlong  generation  is  to 
avoid  an  investigation  into  these  beliefs  which 
words  so  poorly  express.  The  tendency  is  to 
avoid  questioning  the  doctrines  and  simply  to 
doubt  them. 


Doubt,  a  Shrinking  Back         169 

3 

The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  for  instance,  is  in 
point.  It  is  quickly  simplified  to  an  arithmetical 
equation,  three  equals  one,  which,  of  course,  is 
absurd.  I  doubt  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  is 
the  easy  verdict. 

But  those  religious  fathers  of  ours  were  not 
absurd.  They  knew  as  well  as  any  one  that  three 
does  not  equal  one. 

They  were  questioners  who  could  look  at 
reality  from  more  than  one  standpoint  at  a  time. 

Whoever  is  willing  to  come  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity,  constructively,  will  find  the  path 
leading  away  from  one-sided  dogmatism  and 
opening  up  to  faith  in  the  reconciliation  of  the 
primary  contradiction  of  experience,  which  I  take 
to  be  the  antinomy  of  the  one  and  the  many. 

As  another  illustration  may  be  taken  the  doc- 
trine of  the  divinity  of  Christ.  The  doubting 
mind  is  quite  satisfied  to  say :  A  pagan  inheritance, 
a  bit  of  mythology,  an  old- wives'  fable;  I  doubt 
the  doctrine. 

But  those  fathers  of  ours  were  not  so  simple  as 
some  are  inclined  to  think.  They  looked  far  and 
thought  long,  and  whoever  is  willing  to  question 
into  their  meaning,  instead  of  straightway  doubt- 
ing their  sanity,  will  be  surprised  to  find  in 
this  doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  Christ  entrance 
to  all  the  hope  of  the  good  of  life  and  entrance 


170  The  Unexplored  Self 

to  all  the  hope  of  personal  participation  in  that 
good. 


The  current  attitude  toward  these  two  doc- 
trines will  serve  to  make  clear  the  difference 
between  an  attitude  of  shrinking  back  and  of 
pressing  on. 

The  latter  propels  the  wheel  of  truth  while  the 
former  impedes  its  turning. 

Of  course,  it  will  happen  once  in  a  while  that 
such  impeding,  which  is  in  the  nature  of  a  brake, 
will  keep  the  wheel  from  advancing  into  error. 
Doubt  will,  once  in  a  while,  keep  the  wheel  from 
going  into  falsehood,  but  in  general  it  blocks  life, 
while  questions  advance  it. 

The  meaning  of  life  is  like  a  garden  of  fruits  and 
flowers,  separated  from  us  by  a  difficult  wall. 
We  may  walk  along  the  wall  and  despair  of  our 
ability  to  reach  the  good  things;  or  else  we  may, 
perhaps  with  toil  and  labor,  surmount  the  wall. 

The  attitude  of  doubt  will  hold  a  man  without 
the  garden  where  is  the  tree  of  life  and  the  tree  of 
knowledge.  It  is  the  faith-born  seeking,  the 
asking,  the  knocking,  which  wins  an  opening. 


But  this   illustration  of   the  garden   and    the 
intervening  wall  is  not  altogether  adequate,  for  it 


Doubt,  a  Shrinking  Back         171 

is  not  merely  a  case  of  doubt's  keeping  one  back 
from  truth. 

He  that  doubteth  is  like  the  surge  of  the  sea, 
driven  by  the  wind  and  tossed.  The  shrinking 
back  as  regards  the  great  issues,  results  in  a  man's 
being  swept  along  by  the  current  of  life  to  become 
the  driftwood  of  the  little  issues,  of  fitful  passions 
and  whims. 

It  is  not  given  even  to  a  doubting  mind  to  stand 
still,  because  while  the  mind  is  busy  holding  to  its 
doubt  of  the  great  principles,  it  is  unconsciously 
forming  opinions  on  a  thousand  and  one  other 
things,  or  rather  opinions  are  fastening  upon  it, 
with  the  result  that,  while  the  man  makes  no 
progress  in  determining  the  value  of  his  life,  he  is 
being  possessed  of  obstinate  views  in  respect  to 
trivial  and  more  secondary  things  which  acceler- 
ate the  waste  of  his  soul. 

A  doubting  mind  may  think  itself  merely  to  be 
halting  between  two  particular  opinions,  but  all 
the  time  the  surrounding  influences  are  having 
their  effect,  until  he  who  doubted  the  big  truths 
because  such  truths  are  to  be  won  only  by  sus- 
tained effort  is  nevertheless  a  thorough  dogmatist 
with  a  bony  shell  of  opinions  and  beliefs  which  are 
the  result,  not  of  his  choice  and  investigation,  but 
of  chance  and  circumstance. 

The  very  habits  of  inertia  which  are  developed 
when  the  attitude  of  doubt  is  preferred  to  that  of 
questioning  make  the  man  oftentimes  the  puppet 


172  The  Unexplored  Self 

of  strange  and  fantastical  superstitions.  I  have 
known  people  who  were  doubters  of  Christi- 
anity to  become  neophytes  of  necromancy  and 
occultism. 

I  have  known  people  who  were  doubters  in 
ethics  and  as  to  the  value  of  life  to  develop  into 
zealots  of  pessimism. 

I  have  known  people  who  doubted  the  suprem- 
acy of  love  to  become  confident  of  the  suprem- 
acy of  selfishness. 


There  are  some  natures  that  seem  born  to  lop. 
The  stalk  of  the  plant  is  too  weak  for  its  burden 
and  the  top  drags  on  whichever  side  it  may  have 
chanced  to  tip  over.  In  its  distress  such  a 
plant  appeals  to  the  gardener  and  very  care- 
fully and  delicately  he  untangles  the  dingers 
that  have  caught  on  the  weeds  and  he  puts  in 
a  support. 

He  watches  it  till  he  thinks  that  the  tendrils 
have  caught  the  new  support.  Then  duty  calls 
attention  away  and  the  first  thing  he  knows  there 
is  another  cry  of  distress  and  the  plant  has  lopped 
over  in  the  opposite  direction  and  is  dragging  in 
the  dust. 

Some  people  are  bedraggled  here  and  there,  for  a 
few  years  in  atheism,  then  in  scepticism,  then  in 
spiritualism,  then  in  hardened  revolt,  then  in 
lachrymose  discontent. 


Doubt,  a  Shrinking  Back         173 

Attention  is  called  to  such  cases  not  to  ridicule 
them,  but  as  warnings  to  those  in  whom  the 
temperament  is  not  necessarily  chronic.  We 
may  sympathize  with  doubters,  but  they  are 
not  to  be  condoned,  least  of  all  admired. 

Through  a  confusion  which  we  are  trying  to 
overcome,  an  unfortunate  glamour  has  gathered 
around  the  word  doubt.  It  is  not  true  for  a 
moment  that  there  is  more  faith  in  honest  doubt 
than  in  half  the  creeds,  as  the  poet  said.  If  the 
poet  meant  honest  questioning  we  accept  his 
aphorism,  but  doubt  is  the  refuge  of  either  selfish 
or  anemic  temperaments  who  are  unwilling  to 
struggle  through  to  a  larger  view  of  our  life,  its 
hopes  and  its  prospects. 

I  find  that  many  of  the  modern  cults  are 
attractive  to  those  who  are  temperamental 
doubters  so  far  as  intellect  goes,  but  who  are  easily 
impressed  by  environment.  The  devotees  of 
such  cults  are  quite  likely  to  be  under  the  influence 
of  the  personality  of  some  teacher  and  not  of  his 
teaching.  It  is  he  whom  they  follow  rather  than 
his  reasoning.  If  they  are  for  a  time  out  of  his 
influence  they  lose  interest  and  hasten  to  take 
lessons  again. 


How  then  is  doubt  to  be  overcome?      Not  by 
presentation  of  arguments. 

Arguments  do  little  for  a  religion.     If  a  man  is 


174  The  Unexplored  Self 

a  questioner  he  will  pick  up  arguments  without 
dependence  upon  forms  that  have  appealed  to 
others. 

The  doubter  needs  not  mental  suasion  but 
mental  energy  and  initiative. 

This  initiative  can  often  be  aroused  by  arguing 
in  behalf  of  atheism  and  irresponsibility  and  so 
leading  the  man  to  doubt  atheism  and  irrespon- 
sibility. 

It  can  be  aroused  by  stimulating  activity, 
enlarging  the  experience,  and  thus  laying  the 
ground  for  the  acceptance  of  the  eternal  worths. 
Set  the  victim  of  windy  suspirations  to  doing 
something.  Get  him  interested  in  something 
that  grows. 

It  can  be  aroused  most  effectively  of  all  by 
bringing  an  example  of  one  who  has  believed  in 
life  and  believed  in  the  worth  of  effort.  This  is 
the  method  of  the  writer  of  the  nth  chapter  of 
Hebrews,  perhaps  the  most  convincing  exposition 
of  faith  that  has  ever  been  given.  It  is  the  method 
of  Christianity. 

The  process  in  every  case  where  a  mind  has 
overcome  scepticism  has  been  to  find  some  core, 
some  kernel,  some  nucleus  of  reality,  and  ques- 
tioning from  thence,  the  great  truths  have  been 
found  linking  themselves  into  an  enlarging  net- 
work of  reality.  The  starting  points  may  be 
wondrously  divergent;  the  final  agreement  is 
wondrously  harmonious. 


Doubt,  a  Shrinking  Back  175 

Doubt  then  is  built  on  unfaith  and  results  in 
waste  of  the  soul.  Questions  are  built  on  faith 
and  result  in  gain  of  the  soul.  Let  a  man  believe 
something  and  keep  harking  back  to  that  and  he 
will  find  a  goal  and  the  way  to  the  goal  becoming 
clearer  day  by  day. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

FAITH  AN  APPRIZAL 


THE  preceding  chapter  considered  doubt  as  a 
shrinking  back  to  the  depreciation  of  the 
soul.  In  this  chapter  we  take  up  the  positive 
content  of  faith. 

The  many  words  with  many  meanings  which 
claim  to  define  faith  make  the  subject  an 
intricate  one,  an  almost  hopeless  tangle,  and 
if  our  interest  were  merely  a  lexicographer's 
in  behalf  of  precise  definition,  there  would 
be  small  excuse  for  discussing  the  matter 
here. 

But  in  the  New  Testament  faith  appears  as  the 
key  to  Christianity.  It  has  been  the  watchword 
of  Christendom.  The  hymns  sing  its  praise. 
The  creeds  affirm  it  and  volumes  have  been  writ- 
ten to  validate  the  idea. 

The  great  religious  leaders  are  saying  that  this 
day  and  generation  needs  above  all  things  the 
tonic  of  faith.  Some  of  its  devotees  expect  it  to 
supersede  therapeutics. 

176 


Faith  an  Apprizal  177 

It  is  either  a  valuable  asset  or  a  dangerous  South 
Sea  Bubble. 

If  faith  is  as  wonderful  a  property  as  some 
claim,  it  should  be  a  market  leader  at  a  tremendous 
premium  among  the  world's  goods.  A  power  that 
will  take  up  a  mountain  and  cast  it  into  the  sea 
could  be  made  very  useful  in  construction  work. 
A  means  of  knowledge  which  obviates  the  tor- 
tuous processes  of  learning  would  have  consider- 
able pedagogic  value.  An  instrument  for  peering 
into  the  spirit  world  where  the  departed  dwell  and 
where  is  the  real  direction  of  mundane  affairs 
would  be  a  welcome  addition  to  our  instruments 
of  discovery. 

In  regard  to  faith  many  and  many  a  man  has 
seriously  asked  whether  the  whole  thing  were  a 
hoax,  or  whether  there  was  some  reality  back  of 
such  extravagant  claims. 

Conservative  business  houses  are  inclined  to 
regard  with  suspicion  wild-cat,  get-power-quick, 
get-knowledge-quick  propositions.  A  widely 
tooted  gold  mine  about  which  nothing  definite 
can  be  ascertained  does  not  win  much  attention 
from  established  firms.  This  is  one  reason,  per- 
haps, why  faith  is  quoted  so  much  below  par  in 
some  circles.  Curb  traders  may  deal  in  an 
entirely  speculative  and  vague  thing  called  faith 
which,  even  if  it  has  a  respectable  ancient  history, 
can  present  no  modern  recommendation  by  an 
expert.     The  committee  vote  against  listing  it  on 


178  The  Unexplored  Self 

the  exchange  is  heavy.  The  reputable  houses  are 
disinclined  to  handle  it.  They  have  more  reliable 
investments  to  offer  their  clients. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  all  these  adverse  es- 
timates, faith  has  retained  an  integrity  of  its 
own,  a  validity  of  its  own.  Whoever  has  felt 
religion  as  an  active  force  in  his  own  life  has 
recognized  an  element  more  than  belief,  some- 
thing more  than  knowledge,  a  factor  which  was 
not  opposed  to  reasoning,  but  which  reasoning 
could  not  supply.  So  that  there  have  always 
been  investors  eager  to  examine  into  this  propo- 
sition called  faith.  Its  claims  have  been  urged 
and  contested  and  there  is  a  considerable  mass  of 
opinion  that  has  to  be  considered. 


Out  of  all  the  discussion  which  the  attempt  to 
express  what  is  meant  by  faith  has  called  forth, 
one  fact  is  becoming  more  and  more  clear,  namely, 
that  faith  is  distinctive  because  it  is  an  apprizal. 

To  have  faith  in  a  thing,  to  believe  in  a  thing 
is  to  feel  or  appreciate  its  value,  to  think  it  good 
for  something. 

At  this  point  we  must  be  pedantic  enough  to 
call  to  mind  a  distinction  between  belief  and 
belief  in.  Confusion  here  has  often  confused 
the  whole  subject.  Then  the  confusion  has 
been  worse  confounded  when  some  usage  in 
the  last  two  hundred  years  has  come  to  employ 


Faith  an  Apprizal  179 

believe  in,  in  the  sense  of  accepting  the  existence 
of,  as,  for  instance,  when  a  man  says  he  believes 
"in"  sea  serpents. 

The  word  faith,  which  is  the  equivalent  of  the 
original  believing  in,  must  be  carefully  distin- 
guished from  believing  that.  It  has  better  pre- 
served the  historical  distinction  of  believing  in  a 
thing. 

To  have  faith  in  a  medicine  is  more  than  con- 
viction about  its  manufacture,  it  is  to  be  con- 
vinced of  the  efficacy  of  the  medicine.  To  have 
faith  in  universal  suffrage  is  different  from  assent 
to  its  ancient  prevalence ;  it  is  to  realize  its  benefit 
to  society.  To  have  faith  in  a  general  or  a  leader 
is  to  accept  his  ability  in  leadership. 

To  have  faith  in  a  doctrine  is  more  than  accept- 
ing its  truth;  geometrical  propositions  are  true; 
it  is  to  feel  its  beneficial  power.  To  have  faith  in 
Christ  is  more  than  believing  certain  things  about 
him;  it  is  to  appreciate  him  as  the  saviour  of 
society. 

The  word  faith,  therefore,  has  a  definite  mean- 
ing and  a  definite  use.  It  is  not  another  means 
of  knowledge  which  differs  from  ordinary  know- 
ledge. It  is  not  defined  by  denial  alone.  There  is 
in  the  word  something  clear  and  positive,  some- 
thing that  has  a  legitimate  place  in  the  world's 
experience  and  a  place  among  the  most  precious 
of  the  world's  goods. 

It  has  a  legitimate  place  and  yet  it  is  quite 


180  The  Unexplored  Self 

distinct  from  the  mere  existential  assertion.  To 
believe  that  a  thing  exists  is  very  different  from 
faith  in  a  thing.  With  the  latter  there  is  an 
appropriation,  a  warming  of  the  heart,  a  reaching 
out  of  the  desire. 

The  way  to  accomplish  anything  is  by  first  of 
all  having  faith  in  it.  Let  a  man  feel  the  im- 
portance sufficiently,  let  him  see  the  profit  to  be 
obtained,  and  almost  any  obstacle  may  be  over- 
come. Faith  provides  the  incentive,  and  those 
who  are  looking  for  the  best  gain  are  doing  the 
world's  work ;  they  are  faith  led. 


It  is  here  that  so  many  stop  short  in  their 
religious  lives.  No  one  should  confuse  his  ac- 
ceptance of  the  being  of  God  with  faith  in  God. 
The  latter  is  a  sense  of  the  significance  of  God 
to  his  life  and  wraps  a  man  up  in  his  Father's 
business. 

The  teaching  of  theology  has  been  largely 
without  religious  influence  because  it  has  been 
satisfied  with  establishing  the  existence  of  deity. 
Whether  convinced  by  the  argument  or  not,  men 
have  equally  remained  indifferent. 

The  teaching  of  Christian  dogmatics  has  re- 
mained without  much  religious  influence  because 
it  has  put  its  principal  energies  into  establishing 
certain  events  in  the  life  of  Christ  or  facts  about 
Christ  and  men  have  recited  the  creeds  glibly 


Faith  an  Apprizal  181 

enough  without  real  faith,  for  faith  in  Christ  is  a 
passion  comparable  to  the  frenzy  aroused  by  the 
discovery  of  gold. 

Modern  scientific  study  of  the  Bible  has  been 
comparatively  without  religious  influence  because 
it  has  been  so  occupied  with  information  in  regard 
to  authorship  and  chronology. 

This  is  not  to  decry  research.  Theology, 
dogmatics,  and  criticism  have  their  place,  but  in  so 
far  as  they  have  not  uncovered  precious  veins  of 
metal  they  have  had  as  little  to  do  with  religion  as 
has  a  book  of  algebra. 

Books  on  social  economy  or  books  of  biography 
are  more  religious  than  the  ordinary  treatises  on 
natural  theology  because  they  deal  with  better- 
ments and  preferences.  The  God  of  natural 
theology  is  a  philosophic  conception  rather 
than  religious,  because  its  conceptions  are  not 
drawn  from  the  realization  of  the  significance 
of  life  and  the  significance  of  the  human  indi- 
vidual. 

The  Bible  is  the  Scripture  of  humanity, 
not  because  it  contains  information  and  truth, 
but  because  it  is  shot  through  and  through 
with  the  idea  that  life  has  a  meaning.  The 
entire  volume  is  a  development  of  the  first 
chapter  which  said  of  life,  it  was  good,  it  was 
good,  it  was  very  good.  Little  insignificant 
episodes  in  Bible  history  are  related  to  eternal 
purposes. 


1 82  The  Unexplored  Self 


Religion  is  different  from  science  because  its 
primary  object  is  to  grade  things  precious,  and 
faith  is  different  from  knowledge  because  it  is 
a  prizing. 

The  very  desires  and  regrets,  therefore,  in 
respect  to  the  passing  of  beliefs,  will  be  a  basis  for 
attempting  a  new  construction,  the  old  faith  in 
new  relations,  a  new  expression  for  the  good — the 
good  that  remains  although  the  previous  forms 
were  invalid. 

We  are  learning  that  the  pleasure-pain  experi- 
ence precedes  rather  than  follows  the  verbal 
formulation  of  the  experience,  and  when  one 
formula  proves  faulty,  a  better  one  is  made.  It 
is  the  old  scholastic  doctrine  that  faith  precedes 
belief. 

Faith  is  not  believing  something  which  a  man 
knows  is  not  so.  It  is  not  believing  against 
reason.  It  is  not  belief  in  spite  of  reason.  To 
speak  of  faith  as  knowledge  by  the  heart,  or  as 
revealed  knowledge,  or  as  an  inner  experience, 
introduces  more  confusion  than  illumination. 

Men  have  said  that  faith  is  a  sense  of  depend- 
ence, a  mental  attitude,  an  act  of  the  will,  an  act 
of  obedience.  These  have  come  nearer  to  the 
nucleus  of  intention  for  which  the  word  stands. 
This  nucleus  is  an  apprizal,  a  sense  of  the  good  of 
life  which  leads  to  the  gain  of  the  soul. 


Faith  an  Apprizal  183 

The  worth  of  life  can  be  proven  no  more  than 
can  the  sweetness  of  sugar.  The  joy  of  Christian 
effort  can  be  proven  no  more  than  can  the  fra- 
grance of  a  violet,  but  it  can  be  felt  and  appre- 
ciated and  this  is  important.  This  is  evangelism. 
This  is  the  way  of  salvation.  Through  faith 
have  the  heroes  of  old  and  of  to-day  done  their 
work. 


For  those  who  have  accepted  the  teachings  of 
the  Church  or  of  their  parents  with  unquestioning 
simplicity;  for  those  who  regard  doubt  merely  as 
a  mental  teething  which  will  pass  with  adolescence ; 
for  those  who  see  no  crying  evils  in  life ;  for  those 
who  expect  logic  and  legislation,  or  else  fate  to 
drag  in  the  Golden  Age,  this  establishing  of  faith 
signifies  little. 

Those,  however,  whose  whole  framework  has 
been  wrenched  as  the  supports  for  the  larger  hope 
have  been  one  by  one  removed,  those  who  have 
writhed  under  the  iron  grip  of  temptation  with  no 
succor  from  religious  considerations,  those  who 
have  seen  loved  ones  led  away  to  indulgence  and 
selfishness  with  no  power  of  intervening  the 
thoughts  of  superior  obligation,  those  who,  looking 
out  upon  irreligion,  sympathize  with  the  alarm 
at  human  heedlessness, — these  all  know  how  much 
it  will  mean  if  faith  as  a  desire  for  the  best  things 
be  based  in  an  effective  and  appealing  way. 


1 84  The  Unexplored  Self 

For  it  is  not  as  though  society  were  well  stocked 
with  high  grade  properties  among  which  faith 
came  in  as  an  additional  asset.  The  actual  con- 
dition is  much  more  like  a  time  of  panic  when 
property  after  property  fails  to  make  good  and 
men  turn  to  faith  feeling  that  if  that  fails  then 
they  are  bankrupt  indeed. 

As  regards  goods  that  are  really  and  per- 
manently stable,  we  are  in  rather  desperate 
straits.  The  investments  which  we  have  been 
bartering  and  exchanging  turn  out  to  be  paper, 
either  good  for  a  day  or  else  depending  upon  that 
which  faith  represents. 

What  I  mean  is  that  wealth,  success,  friend- 
ships, virtues,  are  but  promissory,  needing  to  be 
endorsed  by  something  more  solid  than  this  stock 
exchange  we  call  earth. 

Banking  houses  may  continue  to  advertise  the 
staple  issues,  but  society  is  beginning  to  feel  that 
the  security  back  of  the  moral  bonds  and  ethical 
stocks  must  be  investigated  and  assured. 


There  is  toward  Christian  faith  more  than  the 
interest  in  a  particular  thing  said  to  be  precious. 
The  titles  to  no  properties  have  any  permanency 
unless  its  guarantees  can  be  obtained,  and  all 
securities  depend  on  the  validity  of  its  indorse- 
ments. 

Faith  furnishes  the  incentive  which  makes  the 


Faith  an  Apprizal  185 

possible  actual.  It  awakens  the  will  which  makes 
knowledge  effectual.  It  supplies  the  certification 
of  earth's  pledges. 

While,  on  the  one  hand,  discredit  is  being 
thrown  upon  effort  and  upon  morality,  and  while 
contempt  of  life  finds  freer  and  freer  vent  and 
men  are  at  a  loss  for  arguments  to  oppose  to 
suicide,  faith,  on  the  other  hand,  sets  up  the 
standard  of  goods ;  it  insists  upon  a  recognition  of 
the  benefit  of  Christ,  the  benefit  of  the  Bible,  the 
vital  significance  of  God,  the  good  of  life.  It  is 
content  with  nothing  less  and  thus  accomplishes 
the  gain  of  the  soul. 

In  our  creeds,  accordingly,  the  Apostles'  Creed, 
for  instance,  are  contained  two  distinct  elements: 
first,  an  appreciation  of  the  value  of  God,  or  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah,  or  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  second, 
descriptions  which  are  useful  for  identification, 
but  not  necessarily  a  vital  part  of  the  faith. 
Just  as  if  a  political  platform  might  affirm  belief 
in  free  trade,  and  add:  "A  doctrine  first  pro- 
mulgated by  Adam  Smith";  my  disagreement 
with  the  historical  accuracy  of  the  description  is 
secondary  to  my  acceptance  of  that  plank. 

The  primary  thing  in  any  creed  or  in  Christian- 
ity is  the  things  it  has  faith  in,  the  things  it 
prizes.  These  change  character  and  these  mould 
society. 

When  love  is  recognized  as  the  supreme  good 
it  becomes  evident  why  the  two  ideas  of  love  and 


1 86  The  Unexplored  Self 

faith  are  so  closely  allied  and  are  used  inter- 
changeably as  the  mainspring  of  Christianity. 
To  love  is  to  prize,  to  feel  the  value  of,  and  faith  is 
an  apprizal. 

This  thought  leads  over  very  naturally  to  the 
part  which  the  things  a  man  prizes  play  in  his  self- 
development. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  TREASURE  AND  THE  SELF 


WHAT  the  eyes   see  is   determined  by   the 
interests. 
There  is  a  well-known  rhyme  of  a  pussy  cat  who 
had  been  to  London  to  see  the  queen,  the  net 
result  of  whose  observations  was  a  mouse  under 
the  regal  throne. 

The  story  is  no  Mother  Goose  nonsense.  It  is 
a  philosophy  in  a  nutshell. 

In  travelling  through  a  country  every  person  has 
a  different  landscape  presented  to  him.  A  civil 
engineer  will  notice  topographical  features.  A 
farmer  will  see  crops  and  soil.  An  artist  will  note 
colors  and  contours.  A  geologist  will  observe 
strata  and  rock  formations.  A  psychologist  will 
inventory  his  own  and  others'  mental  attitudes. 
The  literary  man  will  be  impressed  by  events  and 
occurrences. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  real  anger  with  which 
a  lady  related  to  me  the  fact  that  during  their 

187 


188  The  Unexplored  Self 

trip  up  and  down  the  Bosphorus,  a  group  of 
young  people  devoted  their  entire  attention  to  a 
game  of  shuffle-board  which  they  were  playing 
upon  the  deck.  It  made  her  almost  furious  to 
think  that  so  unique  an  opportunity  should  be  let 
slip.  They  might  have  seen  palaces  and  castles 
but  they  saw  only  blocks  of  wood  shuffling  into 
chalked  squares. 

It  would  probably  surprise  all  tourists  if  they 
could  know  what  was  actually  in  the  minds  of 
their  fellows  as  a  party  of  them  are  being  person- 
ally conducted  through  a  gallery  or  through  some 
ruins.  The  tourist's  interest  determines  that 
which  his  eyes  shall  see.  Whether  he  is  playing 
shuffle-board  or  for  the  sake  of  conformity  fixes 
his  gaze  on  the  passing  shores,  what  he  sees  in  the 
two  cases  is  not  very  different. 


There  are  some  who  are  attempting  to  build 
upon  this  fact  a  philosophical  system.  They 
say  that  our  knowledge  of  things  has  been  con- 
trolled by  their  value  to  us  and  that  this  world 
which  seems  so  independent  is  nevertheless  the 
product  of  our  own  and  our  ancestors'  interests. 
Things  of  value  have  been  kept  and  made  per- 
manent; things  of  no  value  have  for  generations 
dropped  away  and  so  have  no  effect  on  our  minds. 

For  instance,  some  animals,  because  of  its 
value  to  them,  have  an  almost  miraculous  sense 


The  Treasure  and  the  Self        189 

of  smell  and  therefore  have  a  real  world  which  is 
unknown  to  us. 

The  theory  presents  much  that  is  pertinent  and 
valid,  but  our  excursion  into  the  realm  of  phi- 
losophy and  speculation  will  be  postponed  till  the 
next  chapter.  Our  present  purpose  is  much 
more  simple  and  practical. 

Our  subject,  The  Treasure  and  the  Self,  would 
say  that  a  man  is  summed  up,  defined,  in  the 
things  he  considers  precious. 

Develop  a  man's  preferences  if  you  would  make 
him  more  religious.  Let  one  look  to  his  interests 
if  he  would  know  which  way  he  is  growing.  Let 
him  put  his  treasure  in  the  direction  in  which  he 
would  have  his  personality  go. 

A  man's  character  is  discovered  and  determined 
not  by  his  clothes  nor  his  creed,  not  by  his  pro- 
fession nor  his  professions,  not  by  his  labor  nor  his 
deeds,  but  by  his  likings.  Tell  me  what  a  man 
likes  and  then  I  know  what  the  man  is. 

There  is  indeed  no  other  test  of  character  and 
the  test  of  likings  is  an  unfailing  one.  It  totals 
the  man  of  him.  The  other  elements  do  not 
reach  the  actual  personality. 


What  a  man  knows  reveals,  either  the  retentive- 
ness  of  his  memory,  or  the  range  of  his  mental 
journeys.     Although   even  here,  as   was   hinted, 


190  The  Unexplored  Self 

what  a  man  likes  largely  determines  what  he 
knows. 

A  man's  ability  to  talk  reveals  a  close  cor- 
relation between  his  tongue  and  his  brain.  Some 
have  facility  in  writing.  Some  have  physical 
health.  Some  are  well  provided  with  animal 
energy.  But  these  are  imperfect  indications  of 
the  man  himself.  If  increase  of  volubility,  culti- 
vation of  the  fancy,  erudition,  travel,  make  a 
man's  interests  expand,  then  only  does  the  self 
expand. 

A  man's  learning,  what  boots  it?  A  man's 
reading,  what  boots  it?  A  man's  experience, 
what  boots  it?  But  dig  down  to  the  apprecia- 
tions and  you  have  penetrated  to  the  soul. 

"If  I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy  and  know  all 
mysteries  and  all  knowledge  and  if  I  have  all 
faith  so  as  to  remove  mountains,  but  have  not 
love,  I  am  nothing."  This  is  not  an  extrava- 
gant statement.  It  touches  the  deepest  core  of 
actuality. 

It  is  a  man's  consciousness,  his  experience,  his 
love  that  keeps  him  from  dissolution  into  earth. 
It  is  in  his  liking  and  his  love  that  a  man  is 
farthest  removed  from  a  machine  and  becomes  a 
person. 

One  man  opens  a  newspaper  first  to  the  court 
calendar  because  he  is  by  profession  a  lawyer, 
but  if  you  find  him  lingering  longest  over  the 
society  columns  you  are  able  to  understand  his 


The  Treasure  and  the  Self        191 

more  essential  character.  Another  person  may 
first  glance  through  the  real  estate  transactions 
because  he  is  a  land  broker,  but  if  you  find  him 
poring  over  the  art  notes  and  the  exhibitions  of 
paintings  you  have  gained  an  insight  into  his 
inner  self. 

The  word  heart  is  sometimes  used  to  stand  for 
the  essential  self  as  distinguished  from  the  body 
and  the  brain.  These  latter  are  more  related  to 
the  external  world.  The  heart  as  used  in  the 
Bible  stands  for  the  distinct  person,  for  the  inner 
man,  for  the  very  man  of  very  man,  and  would 
you  know  of  this  inner  self  where  it  is,  look  to  the 
choices,  "for  where  the  treasure  is  there  will  the 
heart  be  also." 

All  the  rest  of  his  being  follows  along  the 
direction  which  his  heart  has  taken.  As  the  slow 
sea  creatures  wrap  themselves  about  a  stray  bit 
of  food;  as  the  eagles  gather  about  the  carcass; 
as  the  swarm  follows  the  queen  bee;  as  the  plant 
sends  it  fullest  life  to  meet  the  light,  so  a  man's 
entire  being,  his  thoughts,  his  ideas,  his  dreams, 
his  associations,  his  reading,  his  conversation,  his 
actions,  cluster  about  his  treasury. 


One  thought  that  comes  from  the  subject  is 
no  longer  new  to  teachers,  though  none  perhaps 
realize  its  full  significance.  This  is  the  part  that 
interest  plays  in  education. 


192  The  Unexplored  Self 

Education  without  interest  is  an  impossibility. 
With  interest  education  is  unavoidable. 

One  needs  no  academic  walls.  He  needs  no 
trained  tutors.  If  he  is  interested  in  a  subject, 
education  will  come  unsought,  will  be  possessed 
unpursued. 

An  interest  acts  as  a  magnet  to  catch  and  to 
hold  bits  of  information  that  would  otherwise 
slip  away.  Without  any  appreciable  effort,  the 
treasure  becomes  a  coral  insect  and  builds  around 
itself  an  island  in  the  ocean  currents. 

A  man  who  begins  to  put  up  money  on  horse 
races  soon  develops  a  familiarity  with  the  race- 
track gossip,  with  names,  with  past  performances, 
and  with  the  mathematics  of  chance,  which  the 
mere  desire  for  information  could  not  have  stirred 
him  to. 

One  who  has  a  relative  in  politics  uncon- 
sciously assimilates  the  stray  items  about  the 
political  situation  until  he  or  she  is  quite  thor- 
oughly informed. 

People  say :  I  wish  I  had  had  opportunities  to 
study.  They  regret  their  lack  of  a  college  educa- 
tion. The  lack  can  be  supplied  and  abundantly 
supplied  if  the  wish  is  more  than  a  passing  whim, 
or  the  regret  more  than  a  fleeting  shadow.  Let  a 
man  cultivate  the  likings  and  the  mind  will 
follow. 

Let  him  invest  in  a  Venezuelan  bond  and  the 
acquiring  of  knowledge  about   South  American 


The  Treasure  and  the  Self        193 

affairs  will  be  no  task.     Let  him  develop  an  ail- 
ment and  he  will  become  a  physician. 

It  is  through  being  mastered  by  a  subject  that 
one  learns  to  master  it  and  this  being  over- 
mastered by  a  subject  is  the  same  as  being  im- 
pressed by  its  value.  Let  the  value  of  some 
investigation  be  established  and  there  will  soon 
be  a  new  science.  The  value  goes  first  and  truth 
comes  along  in  its  wake. 


Far  be  it  from  any  one  to  join  in  treason  against 
Truth.  Truth  is  by  divine  right  queen  and  des- 
pot, sole  lawgiver  and  judge. 

Whoso  says  he  is  swayed  by  other  citizenship 
is  at  once  ostracized,  outlawed,  banished  from 
human  relationship.     And  this  is  as  it  should  be. 

Truth  has  travelled  along  so  bloody  a  path  in 
reaching  her  throne  that  she  dare  not  brook  even 
the  whisper  of  any  other  sovereignty.  Rather 
than  run  the  risk  of  sedition  and  revolution,  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  disloyalty  or  of  transfer  of 
allegiance  is  summarily  stamped  out. 

In  this  almost  fierce  sentiment  the  Christian 
Church  cordially  joins.  It  submits  to  the  mental 
arbiter  in  every  instance.  Against  the  dictates  of 
Truth,  preferences  must  not  be  weighed  for  a 
moment.  Truth  reigns  alone  and  all  her  sub- 
jects rejoice.  Not  for  all  the  gain  in  the  world 
should  any  one  deviate  a  hair's  breadth  from  her 
13 


194  The  Unexplored  Self 

prescriptions.  Any  advantage  obtained  against 
her  permission  is  actual  loss.  She  is  sole  and 
eternal.  Even  idolatrous  worship  of  her  is  to  be 
condoned. 

Yet  all  this  is  because  we  have  at  heart  the  good 
in  existence  and  the  good  of  humanity.  The 
preciousness  of  Truth  is  above  Truth  itself. 

Truth  has  established  her  right  to  rule,  but  she 
has  had  to  establish  it.  Were  Truth  less  precious 
than  fancy,  allegiance  would  be  transferred.  If 
this  be  treason  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  make 
the  best  of  it. 

By  itself  Truth  is  an  abstraction,  while  things 
felt  and  treasured  in  experience  are  the  real  things. 
God  is  discovered  in  the  attractiveness  of  nature 
and  in  the  good  of  life,  not  in  its  mathematics. 
The  final  reality  is  the  one  we  feel  and  not  the 
formulae  which  result  from  analysis.  But  here 
we  are  in  the  domain  of  philosophy,  and  ours 
was  to  be  an  excursion  into  the  realm  of  the 
practical. 


A  practical  application  comes  to  those  who  are 
interested  in  the  extension  of  Christianity.  It  is 
Christianity  as  a  world's  asset  which  is  to  be  put 
in  the  forefront  and  is  to  distinguish  it  as  a  religion 
to  inspire  life,  from  a  chain  of  syllogisms  to  satisfy 
the  mind. 

One  truth  is  as  true  as  any  other,  but  truths 


The  Treasure  and  the  Self        195 

may  be  ranked  according  to  their  value.     Religion 
emphasizes  the  most  valuable  truths. 

Christianity  will  prevail  and  draw  hearts  as  its 
life-giving  qualities  are  established,  as  it  brings  to 
light  the  great  mineral  veins  of  wealth  in  existence. 

Another  practical  application  comes  to  those 
who  are  in  search  of  a  religion,  and  who  from  the 
standpoint  of  mere  truth  cannot  see  the  advan- 
tage of  Christianity  over  Buddhism,  or  Theoso- 
phy,  or  science .  In  a  philosophical  Parliament 
of  Religions,  Christianity  would  be  one  among 
many.  It  stands  unique,  however,  because  it  has 
revealed  the  most  precious  things  of  life.  It 
reaches  the  best  in  things. 

It  affirms  not  only  the  good  of  honesty  and 
truth  and  character,  but  also  the  good  of  doing, 
the  good  of  individual  living,  and  love  as 
elemental.  Its  good  tidings  (eu-angelion)  gives 
it  its  eminence. 


A  practical  application  comes  to  those  who  are 
going  along  in  life  with  no  strength  to  rise  into 
the  higher  ranges,  who  recognize  that  their  aims 
are  rather  low,  but  do  not  know  how  to  ennoble 
them.  Let  them  take  a  more  comprehensive  view 
of  the  goods  of  the  world  so  as  to  distinguish  the 
perishable  from  the  imperishable  goods,  the 
treasures  which  moth  and  rust  consume,  which 


196  The  Unexplored  Self 

thieves  having  broken  through  may  steal,  from 
those  heavenly  treasures  which  neither  moth  nor 
rust  consume  and  to  which  thieves  cannot  break 
through  to  steal. 

Christ's  meaning  appears  still  more  plain  when 
men  realize,  as  they  are  coming  to,  that  the  word 
heaven  meant  for  him  the  larger  life  which  may 
begin  for  any  one  even  here  on  earth.  Let  men 
see  the  more  heavenly,  the  more  eternal  proper- 
ties among  the  earthly  things  and  their  hearts  will 
already  begin  to  inhabit  this  heavenly  kingdom. 

In  one  place  Paul  says:  The  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  us.  Love  constrains;  love  draws; 
love  compels. 

It  is  the  love  of  Christ  that  has  constrained  and 
drawn  the  heart  of  the  world  to  reach  out  toward 
him.  As  men  have  felt  and  appreciated  that 
spirit,  society  has  been  directed  and  transformed. 
It  is  the  affections  and  desires  that  stimulate  to 
activity.  It  is  the  treasure  that  leads  forth  the 
heart. 

Some  hearts  are  enclosed  by  the  walls  of  an 
office,  or  by  the  boundaries  of  a  farm.  Others  are 
beginning  to  look  beyond  these  things  and  are 
rinding  new  treasures  in  purses  that  wax  not  old. 
They  are  learning  to  estimate  things  in  terms  of 
heavenly  treasure  that  faileth  not. 

The  treasure  determines  the  direction  and 
amount  of  the  growth;  for  where  your  treasure  is 
there  will  your  self  be  also. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


RELIGION  THE  GRADING  OF  THINGS  PRECIOUS 


SCIENCE  has  been  well  and  entirely  summed 
up  in  the  definition  that  it  is  systematized 
knowledge.  The  benefit  of  patient  research  to 
this  end  is  evidenced  by  every  factor  in  modern 
life. 

One  reason  for  the  failure  to  understand  the 
importance  and  the  place  of  religion  in  modern 
life  is  because  men  have  not  understood  what 
religion  is.  It  has  been  confused  with  liturgies, 
with  metaphysics,  with  superstition,  and  such 
like.  Religion  is  something  tangible  and  distinct. 
It  is  more  practical  than  even  science  and  comes 
nearer  home  to  the  individual. 

Religion  may  be  well  and  entirely  summed  up 
in  the  definition  that  it  is  the  systematizing  of 
values;  it  is  the  grading  of  things  precious. 

The  novice  grasps  the  nearest  pleasure. 
Experience  teaches  that  some  pleasures  are  better 
let  pass  for  others.     Some  things  turn  out  to  be 

197 


198  The  Unexplored  Self 

worth  great  pains.  All  this  is  in  the  direction  of 
grading  values.     It  is  the  threshold  of  religion. 

Religion  comes  when  a  man  has  looked  over  the 
good  and  bad  things  of  life  and  made  a  system  of 
them. 

His  system  may  be  based  on  superstition;  the 
good- will  of  a  fetish  may  be  put  on  top ;  mytho- 
logy may  be  its  framework.  Or  else  there  may 
be  nothing  in  it  but  a  calm  balancing  of  sensa- 
tions ;  there  is  a  religion  of  commercialism  and  one 
of  socialism.  The  essential  difference  in  religions 
always  depends  on  what  is  regarded  as  the  highest 
and  the  higher  goods.  Varieties  in  the  frame- 
work and  speculation  are  important  only  as  they 
contribute  to  the  gradation. 

Confucianism  makes  orderliness  best  and  grades 
everything  up  to  that.  Buddhism  says  passivity 
is  best  and  keys  everything  to  that.  Moham- 
medanism used  to  say,  at  least,  that  a  paradise  of 
houris  was  best  and  subordinated  effort  to  that. 

Every  man  is  out  for  the  good  things  of  life. 
It  is  worth  his  while  to  make  a  system  of  them  and 
to  try  for  the  better  and  for  the  best  things. 

Amusements  are  good,  but  it  is  better  still  to 
have  the  price  of  an  overcoat  in  winter.  Fashion- 
able clothes  are  attractive,  but  it  is  better  still  to 
pay  one's  debts.  Ofnce-holding  is  said  to  be 
enjoyable,  but  there  are  those  whose  religion  tells 
them  that  to  be  right  is  better  than  to  hold  office. 

It  is  a  natural  progress  from  such  practical 


Religion  the  Grading  of  Values     199 

conclusions  to  a  science  of  ethics  where  recom- 
mendable  choices  are  set  forth  in  more  or  less 
order.  Now  when  ethics  is  required  to  exhibit 
the  final  good  and  the  reasons  for  the  supremacy 
of  that  good,  when,  for  instance,  it  is  asked,  why 
one  should  seek  the  greatest  good  of  the  greatest 
number,  and  when  there  is  an  attempt  to  arouse 
in  men's  minds  an  appreciation  of  that  supreme 
good,  ethics  passes  over  into  religion. 


This  understanding  of  religion  lets  us  see  a  little 
better  why  it  is  entirely  distinct  from  descrip- 
tions and  deductions. 

We  know  that  in  order  really  to  impart  the 
meaning  of  the  word  precious,  it  is  necessary, 
finally,  to  actualize  some  experience;  say  one 
where  a  group  of  miners  are  laughing-happy  over 
a  newly  found  diamond ;  or  one  where  a  father  and 
mother,  standing  over  a  wasted  form,  find  hand 
seeking  hand  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight  because  the 
little  life  will  be  spared  to  them. 

Precious  finds  itself  in  the  sparkle  of  a  rare 
jewel  or  when  beatified  in  the  grip  of  affection. 
That  which  the  word  stands  for  is  at  the  same 
time  qualitative  and  personal.  There  is  present 
the  palpitation  of  gladness,  the  eagerness  of  desire, 
the  soothing  of  assurance. 

If  the  word  precious  receives  its  final  justifica- 
tion only  in  experience,  much  more  so  does  any 


200  The  Unexplored  Self 

grading  of  things  precious.     The  individual  liking 
is  the  final  arbiter  for  the  ranking  of  preferences. 

This  is  the  truth  in  the  dictum:  de  gustibus  non 
disputandum.  The  dictum  does  not  mean  that 
there  can  be  no  agreement  in  the  ranking  of  likes ; 
it  means  that  the  final  decision  must  be  arbitrary. 
After  all  the  facts  are  in,  and  other  influences 
are  out,  one  experience  is  more  precious  than 
another  because  it  is  preferred  and  for  no  other 
reason.  This  is  the  individualism  of  religion, 
its  independence. 

Another  element  involved  in  our  definition  is 
that  religion  will  emphasize  and  validate  precious 
things  that  otherwise  might  not  be  appreciated. 
This  churchly  aspect  will  be  taken  up  in  a  later 
chapter. 

Our  present  interest  is  in  the  fact  that  religion 
has  a  separate  and  important  field  of  its  own. 

Religion  is  distinct  both  in  its  method  and  in  its 
content.  Taking  into  consideration  the  very 
deepest  desires,  it  deals  with  preferences  too 
subjective  to  be  deduced,  as  yet,  from  other  ex- 
periences; and  likewise  its  final  decision  as  to 
the  highest  good  will  be  determined  not  primarily 
by  reasoning  but  by  actual  experience. 

It  is  in  the  interest  of  the  systematizing  of 
knowledge  that  we  distinguish  religion  and 
science.  It  is  in  the  interest  of  science  that 
preferences  be  as  far  removed  as  possible;  they 


Religion  the  Grading  of  Values     201 

would  be  a  disturbing  element  in  an  ordering  of 
objective  relations.  Religion  and  academic  calm 
are  incompatible. 


Our  discussion  indicates  two  aspects  of  reality 
which  co-operate  to  produce  reality  and  are 
co-ordinate  elements  in  it.  These  are  the  rela- 
tional and  the  affective  aspects  of  every  experi- 
ence. 

Either  aspect  by  itself  is  an  abstraction  and  yet 
the  one  or  the  other  may  be  made  the  centre  of 
attention.  Either  one  may  put  us  on  the  track 
of  reality  but  by  itself  is  not  the  full  equivalent 
of  reality. 

In  this  distinction  which  we  have  just  made, 
a  value  recognition  (sensation,  feeling,  emotion, 
worth)  is  one  phase  of  every  experience,  while  the 
other  phase  is  a  recognition  of  relations. 

If  I  have  a  stinging  sensation  in  my  arm  I  may 
consider  the  position  of  the  bruise  and  go  back  to 
some  half -forgotten  blow,  or  I  may  respond  merely 
to  the  intensity  of  the  pain.  In  the  former  case 
it  would  be  more  the  relational  aspect  that  would 
be  emphasized,  in  the  latter  case  the  pleasure- 
pain  aspect. 

When  the  relational  pointings  are  certain 
enough  we  may  accept  the  reality  and  not  demand 
the  sensing  of  the  thing.     When  the  sensation  is 


202  The  Unexplored  Self 

dependable  enough  we  may  accept  the  reality  and 
waive  the  inability  to  find  the  relations. 

This  is  not  to  say  that  there  are  judgments  of 
worth  which  are  distinct  from  judgments  of  fact. 
There  is  no  world  of  worth  in  distinction  from  a 
world  of  truth,  but  the  analysis  of  any  or  of  all 
experience  discloses  the  two  functional  variables, 
value  and  relation. 


I  have  regretted  the  preceding  technical  dis- 
cussion, but  navigators  who  are  familiar  with 
these  waters  will  be  aware  that  we  have  been 
sailing  among  rocks.  The  partizans  of  infallibility 
resent  the  intrusion  of  preferences  into  the  domain 
of  discussion.  If  they  see  the  word  value  empha- 
sized they  say  " Pragmatism' '  or  "Ritschlianism" 
and  are  quick  to  dismiss  the  matter  with  scant 
courtesy. 

One  needs  no  epistemological  analysis  to 
understand  Christianity,  and  he  who  has  been 
unable  to  obtain  much  light  from  the  preceding 
paragraphs  has  suffered  no  severe  loss.  The  only 
object  has  been  to  obtain  the  right  to  say  what 
is  rather  obvious,  namely,  that  there  is  a  dif- 
ference between  sensing  the  value  of  a  thing  on  the 
one  hand,  and  on  the  other  hand,  seeing  the  net- 
work of  relations  in  which  it  is — a  difference 
between  grading  values  directly  and  classifying 
them  by  objective  standards. 


Religion  the  Grading  of  Values     203 

To  the  former  is  indispensable  the  warmth  of 
immediacy.  The  latter,  the  scientific  attitude,  is 
more  successful  when  there  is  no  personal  interest ; 
for  science,  one  truth  is  as  valid  as  any  other. 

It  seems  necessary  to  remind  the  scientist  that 
life  is  not  here  merely  some  time  to  be  inter- 
related for  facility  of  comprehension.  It  is  all 
the  time  being  lived. 

In  a  system  of  necessary  truths  it  is  more 
important  that  m  to  the  zero  power  equals  one, 
than  that  the  sun's  rays  feel  warm,  because  the 
latter  is  less  deducibly  known.  Nevertheless 
for  living  beings  the  comfort  of  the  sun's  warmth 
is  far  and  away  of  greater  significance. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  satisfy  even  a  rabid 
deductionist  that  in  life  as  we  find  ourselves  living 
it  every  day,  there  is  a  call  for  a  ranking  or  a 
grading  of  things  precious — a  grading  that  can- 
not be  fixed  by  objective  standards.  Experience 
runs  far  ahead  of  any  success  in  reaching  objective 
standards,  especially  in  the  less  material  regions 
of  experience. 

This  does  not  mean  a  cry  of:  Hands  off!  to 
reasoning.  There  is  no  opposition  between  the 
strictest  reasoning  and  religion.  We  are  trying  at 
the  present  moment  to  reason.  The  point  is  that 
reasoning  cannot  originate  the  value  and  plays 
only  an  auxiliary  part  in  the  ultimate  grading. 

As  to  the  sweetness  of  sugar,  for  instance,  the 


204  The  Unexplored  Self 

logical  argument  from  the  nature  of  carbon, 
oxygen,  and  hydrogen  would  be  unhesitatingly 
against  it.  The  appeal  to  a  trial  is  what  carries 
conviction.  And  in  somewhat  the  same  way  the 
final  appeal  as  to  the  worth  of  effort  is  not  to 
argument,  nor  to  those  who  look  on  from  the 
outside.  The  appeal  is  to  those  who  are  in 
abundant  life,  and  theories  must  be  brought  into 
line  with  their  report.  Even  the  pessimist  in 
despising  his  present  existence  shows  a  perception 
of  better  things  and  that  perception  of  his  is  the 
product  of  actuality. 

So  he  who  has  loved  and  been  loved,  knows 
affection  to  be  in  some  way  an  integral  part  of 
experience  and  therefore  woven  into  the  warp  and 
woof  of  reality. 

There  is  an  assurance  of  reality  that  comes 
from  preciousness  as  well  as  that  which  comes 
from  inferences,  and  the  former  has  been  perhaps 
more  provocative  of  discoveries  than  the  latter. 


Religion,  then,  is  not  a  code  of  deductions  but  a 
systematizing  of  men's  inevitable  grading  of  goods 
with  a  consequent  arousing  to  the  best  goods. 
The  beginnings  of  such  a  grading  each  one  in- 
stinctively and  naturally  makes  for  himself  and 
wherever  the  system  is  sufficient  to  give  direction 
to  life's  conduct  there  is  a  religion. 

Every  one  who  continues  to  live  is  compelled  to 


Religion  the  Grading  of  Values     205 

make  choices,  but  religion  has  a  meaning  only  to 
those  who  are  eager  for  the  more  precious  things. 
It  is  entirely  scientific,  therefore,  to  say,  for 
instance,  that  only  he  who  is  living  a  life  of  love 
can  appreciate  its  validity  and  supremacy,  while 
it  is  unscientific  for  life's  self-centred  men  to 
deny  the  Gospel's  significance.  Mere  contempla- 
tion of  life  leads  to  the  nothing-matters  verdict. 
One  who  plunges  into  the  purposeful  activities  of 
society  finds  the  sense  of  a  final  purpose  coming 
as  a  matter  of  course. 

When  heaven  is  understood  as  the  summation 
of  the  love  in  life  and  of  the  purpose  of  life,  the 
meaning  of  the  phrase,  treasures  in  heaven,  used 
in  our  last  chapter,  becomes  clearer.  Such  trea- 
sures regulate  the  currency  used  in  business,  in 
society,  and  by  individuals.  They  affect  not  only 
the  property  and  the  clothes  but  also  the  soul. 
They  affect  not  only  the  friends  but  the  very 
source  and  fountain  of  friendship. 

All  the  intensity  of  speculative  excitement  and 
the  patience  of  the  long  lines  which  await  their 
turns  at  the  pay  windows  cannot  attain  the 
emotions  which  properly  belong  to  the  thoughts 
of  religion.  Paper  money  is  little  precious  without 
the  guarantee  of  a  solvent  bank  or  state;  and  all 
the  precious  things  of  this  world,  the  silver  and  the 
gold,  the  jewels  and  the  bonds,  yes,  the  kindliness 
and  the  heroism,  are  paper  money  whose  values  are 
drawn  from  the  final  value  or  the  kingdom  of  God. 


206  The  Unexplored  Self 

Without  the  backing  from  something  higher, 
effort  is  vanity.  Without  a  divine  bearing,  the 
social  ties  end  in  tragic  bankruptcy.  Paper  money 
is  not  worthless;  this  world  is  not  at  all  to  be 
despised ;  but  its  validity  is  found  in  the  endorse- 
ment that  leads  above  purposelessness.  That 
endorsement  validates  the  entire  system. 


Christianity  becomes,  therefore,  not  primarily 
a  matter  of  scholarly  research  and  examina- 
tion. It  is  not  to  be  taken  down  occasionally 
from  the  museum  shelves  like  other  specimens. 
It  is  to  be  consulted  daily  as  regulating  the 
entire  rise  and  fall  of  prices.  It  enables  one  to 
quote  all  the  commodities.  There  is  no  gulf 
between  its  high-priced  securities  and  other 
values. 

Neighbor  love  is  but  another  name  for  public 
spirit.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  a  kingdom 
among  kingdoms,  a  state  among  states.  God's 
work  is  a  business  among  businesses.  The  reign 
of  love  is  a  delight  among  delights. 

Christ  spoke  of  Christianity  as  a  pearl  among 
pearls,  as  property  among  properties.  He  spoke 
of  his  realm  as  a  vineyard  among  vineyards.  He 
classified  Christian  character  as  wealth  to  be 
weighed  over  against  wealth.  He  stated  what 
men  were  to  seek  first;  then  other  things  would 
fall  into  place,  would  be  added  of  themselves. 


Religion  the  Grading  of  Values     207 

We  have  been  travelling  over  debated  ground, 
ground  where  misunderstanding  is  easy,  and,  as 
was  said  in  the  previous  chapter,  there  should  be 
no  whisper  of  treason  against  truth  or  against 
truth  for  truth's  sake. 

The  principal  point  we  have  been  making  is 
that  a  system  of  principles  that  are  rigidly  true, 
as,  for  instance  a  calculus,  may  be  widely  remote 
from  religion ;  while  in  defining  religion  as  a  grad- 
ing of  things  precious,  we  realize  a  distinct  field 
and  for  each  individual  the  most  immediately 
important  one. 

The  precious  things  of  life  suggest  the  converse, 
the  wickedness  and  wrong  of  life. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  REBORN   SELF 


THE  devil  plays  an  attenuated  r61e  in  Christian 
teaching.  This  is  unfortunate  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  picturesque;  he  made  an  inter- 
esting background  to  the  humdrum  of  virtue. 
It  is  unfortunate  from  the  standpoint  of  romance ; 
some  of  the  reported  encounters  with  him  are 
good  reading.  It  is  unfortunate  also  from  the 
standpoint  of  exhortation ;  he  was  easily  available 
as  a  sort  of  bugaboo  with  which  some  mothers 
obtain  obedience. 

It  is  simple  for  an  enlightened  generation  to 
speak  thus  mockingly  of  the  passing  of  Satan. 
Enlightenment,  however,  can  ill  afford  to  lose 
sight  of  the  realities  for  which  he  stood. 

There  is  evil,  plenty  of  evil;  and  it  will  be  a 
fight  to  get  rid  of  it,  a  continuous  fight.  One  of 
the  first  things  is  to  understand  its  nature. 

Evil  is  not  eviscerated  by  being  defined  as  mis- 
placed good  and  this  sort  of  exaggerated  definition 

208 


The  Reborn  Self  209 

is  valuable  to  make  it  clear  that  there  is  no  dualism 
in  the  universe.  The  flood  that  devastates  a 
country  obeys  laws  which  under  other  circum- 
stances benefit  the  land.  The  bacilli  which 
ravage  a  fair  body  are  in  themselves  obeying  the 
law  of  abundant  life.  The  passion  which  pitches 
a  man  into  a  pig  pen,  if  guided  aright,  could  make 
him  a  master  of  events.  Nor  is  suffering  of  itself 
evil. 

The  final  definition  of  evil  involves  the  purpose 
of  existence.  It  cannot  be  characterized  with- 
out relation  to  the  goal  of  events.  Although  that 
purpose  and  goal  is  so  little  known  that  men  are  in 
no  position  to  be  dogmatic,  there  is  a  revelation 
of  its  direction  and  a  certainty  of  its  adequacy; 
the  purpose  of  life  will  be  adequate  to  its  wonder- 
ful intricacy  and  magnificence. 

So  far  as  the  action  of  men  is  concerned,  con- 
duct which  forwards  the  purpose  of  existence  is 
good,  is  righteous,  and  conduct  which  thwarts  it 
is  evil,  is  unrighteous. 


Evil  is  a  going  astray,  a  fall,  a  collision,  and 
only  to  a  limited  extent  does  it  bring  its  own  cure. 
For  its  extinction  there  must  be  conscious  re- 
arrangement of  conditions. 

One  point  which  follows  from  this  understand- 
ing of  evil  is,  that  the  evil  in  life  is  not  a  necessity. 
It  is  not  requisite  for  the  perfection  of  good  as 


210  The  Unexplored  Self 

some  Theodicies  would  teach.  Contact  with  vice 
is  not  necessary  for  the  formation  of  good  motives. 
Character  is  even  better  formed  by  contact  with 
good  than  through  the  horror  of  evil. 

It  follows  further  that  only  roughly  may  certain 
acts  be  cut  out  of  the  network  of  events  and 
stamped  evil.  Although  with  a  broadening  inclu- 
sion the  possibility  grows  less  and  less,  there  will 
always  remain  a  possibility  that  any  act  which  in 
most  of  its  settings  would  be  a  wrong  act,  may 
under  particular  circumstances  be  a  good  act. 

The  casuist,  therefore,  is  able  to  cite  many 
complications  where  deception  might  be  good. 
Our  refusal  to  tamper  with  the  truth  is  not  because 
we  deny  the  accuracy  of  the  casuist's  reasoning, 
but  because  we  believe  that  the  few  instances  in 
which  deception  might  be  advantageous  would 
not  offset  the  tremendous  evil  if  every  man  felt 
at  liberty  to  figure  things  out  before  he  decided 
to  tell  the  truth. 

It  follows  also  that  the  evil  in  life  is  not  to  be 
considered  a  penalty.  Neither  did  this  man  sin 
nor  his  parents  that  he  was  born  blind.  Rains 
are  sent  upon  the  just  and  upon  the  unjust.  The 
towers  in  Siloam  fall  on  the  virtuous  as  well  as  on 
the  offenders. 

Civil  laws  make  use  of  artificial  evils,  called 
punishments,  to  reinforce  the  deterrent  effect  of 
the  natural  evil  which  follows  and  determines  the 
wrongness  of  wrong  conduct.     There  is  no  evi- 


The  Reborn  Self  211 

dence  that  God  uses  or  will  use  artificial  suffering 
in  addition  to  the  suffering  which  naturally  comes 
from  wrong- doing. 

The  most  perhaps  that  can  be  said  about  divine 
retribution  and  divine  rewards  is  that  sometime 
we  shall  be  tremendously  glad  if  we  have  tried  to 
do  right  and  sometime  we  shall  be  tremendously 
sorry  if  we  have  done  wrong.  This  allows  a  very 
effective  doctrine  of  heaven  and  hell. 


An  understanding  of  the  nature  of  evil  leads  up 
to  a  consideration  of  the  sense  of  sin,  which,  in 
turn,  is  closely  connected  with  the  subject  of 
rebirth.  The  complaint  is  frequently  made  that 
the  modern  view  of  evil  does  not  emphasize  sin 
enough. 

It  may  be  said  in  passing,  that  for  overcom- 
ing wrong,  the  modern  social  view  of  wrong- 
doing is  more  effective  than  was  the  older 
emphasis  on  the  sense  of  sin.  In  fact,  the  old- 
fashioned  preaching  made  that  sense  less  lasting 
than  does  the  view  of  to-day,  because  the  imme- 
diate sequel  to  the  sense  of  sin  was  the  sense  of 
forgiveness  and  the  convert  at  once  entered  a 
mood  of  peace  and  quiet.  The  misery  in  society 
that  must  be  relieved  was  less  realized  than  it  is 
now. 

The  peculiar  value  in  the  older  preaching  was 
not  in  its  successful  bettering  of  social  conditions, 


212  The  Unexplored  Self 

but  rather  in  the  breaking  down  of  pride  and  in 
effecting  a  direct  and  personal  relation  to  God. 
This  emotion  was  an  exhilarating  one. 

The  thought  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins  is  not 
to  be  spoken  of  slightingly;  no  man  should  be 
obliged  to  go  on  weighted  down  by  the  burden  of 
the  past ;  but  it  is  in  place  to  urge  that  the  sense 
of  divine  sonship  produces  an  even  more  personal 
relation  to  God  and  is  at  the  same  time  more  con- 
structive. For  a  superficial  nature  interest  in  a 
father's  work  is  less  intense  than  relief  from  antici- 
pated punishment;  for  a  deep  nature  it  is  more 
intense. 

In  any  case  the  rebirth  is  essential  to  an  under- 
standing of  Christianity.  Our  criticism  has  been 
in  respect  to  its  basing  and  in  respect  to  the  results 
of  that  basing. 

We  said  that  the  sense  of  sin  is  closely  con- 
nected with  the  subject  of  rebirth.  Although  it  is 
possr:!e  that  one  may  grow  from  childhood  up, 
so  close  to  the  God  ward  relation,  that,  instead  of 
being  driven,  he  is  drawn  into  Christianity,  the 
sense  of  sin,  if  it  be  understood  to  include  the 
sense  of  un worth  and  of  un worthiness,  is  still 
the  most  potent  factor  in  making  a  man  first  ap- 
preciate Christianity.  They  who  have  thought 
consistently  enough  to  see  the  inadequacy  of 
earth's  response  to  the  soul's  demands,  they  who 
have  realized  the  entire  emptiness  of  their  efforts 
unless  transformed  by  a  divine  effort,  they  who 


The  Reborn  Self  213 

have  come  almost  to  hate  the  self,  are  ready  to 
prize  the  Gospel. 

The  Christian  life  cannot  be  lived  unless  a  man 
is  ready  to  count  all,  all  his  efforts  as  refuse  and 
himself  as  nothing  except  when  motived  by  God's 
will.  This  is  the  larger  sense  of  sin  which  leads  to 
rebirth.  The  reconstruction  brought  about  by 
the  new  insight  must  extend  to  all  the  motives  and 
to  every  part  of  the  character. 


One  of  the  most  striking  of  Christ's  illustra- 
tions upon  this  point  is  that  of  the  new  cloth  and 
the  old  garment. 

The  best  use  to  make  of  new  cloth  is  not  to  cut 
it  into  patches  for  an  old  suit.  For  that  which  is 
put  in  to  fill  up  taketh  from  the  garment  and  the 
rent  is  made  worse.  The  proper  use  of  new  cloth 
is  to  make  a  new  suit. 

Hearers  were  patching  up  their  old  lives,  piecing 
and  choosing  from  the  new  religion,  a  little  reform 
here,  a  little  of  the  cloth  of  Christianity  there. 
As  a  result  that  which  was  put  in  to  fill  up  took 
from  the  garment  and  the  rent  was  made  worse. 

And  to-day,  likewise,  men  are  too  often  content 
to  use  the  new  only  to  make  over  the  old.  They 
listen  to  an  appeal  whose  force  they  acknowledge 
and  they  determine  to  change  their  lives  in  this 
respect  and  in  that.     Some  go  over  the  old  gar- 


214  The  Unexplored  Self 

ment  as  often  as  once  a  year  with  a  list  of  resolu- 
tions, a  patch  and  a  repair,  a  patch  and  a  repair. 

In  their  moral  clothes  some  resemble  the 
effigies  of  Guy  Fawkes.  And  the  ridiculousness 
of  this  absurd  appearance  is  increased  when  they 
strut  about  as  though  magnificently  arrayed. 
One  shoulder  entirely  bare  is  forgotten  in  calling 
attention  with  pride  to  the  other  shoulder  which 
has  been  built  out  and  padded  in  accordance  with 
the  latest  custom  plate.  A  great  tear  here  is 
ignored  in  pointing  to  the  careful  way  in  which  a 
tear  somewhere  else  has  been  made  invisible. 
Sometimes  they  overlook  a  whole  portion  of  a 
garment  that  is  lacking  and  sew  upon  another 
portion  piece  after  piece,  making  a  thick,  incon- 
gruous wad  taken  from  all  the  moral  teachers  in 
the  world's  history. 

The  motley  clowns  of  the  ancient  courts  were 
at  least  wholly  covered.  It  is  often  the  philosophy 
of  religious  tailoring  to-day  to  think  that  a  few 
good  pieces  will  make  up  for  the  rags  and  the  gaps. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  explain  why  the 
doctrine  of  regeneration  is  an  essential  part  of 
Christian  teaching.  The  words  repentance,  re- 
newal, conversion,  are  not  strong  enough.  A 
man  must  be  reborn. 


People  in  a  retrospective  frame  of  mind  some- 
times say :     I  wish  I  could  live  my  life  over  again. 


The  Reborn  Self  215 

It  is  hard  to  believe  that  they  mean  what  they 
say.  What  they  mean,  probably  is:  I  wish  I 
could  know  what  I  now  know  and  so  start  my  life 
over  again. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  any  one  would  care  to 
retrace  the  years  exactly  as  they  have  been  in  the 
past.  In  spite  of  bright  events,  and  cherished 
friendships,  the  tale  that  has  been  told,  if  it  is  to 
traverse  the  same  path  and  lead  to  the  same 
point  again,  one  would  hardly  care  to  repeat. 

If  one  were  to  retain  his  entire  personality, 
however,  his  knowledge  of  the  world,  his  know- 
ledge of  himself,  his  knowledge  of  the  best  values, 
to  retain  his  present  knowledge  of  means  and 
ends — if  he  could  retain  all  these  and  so  live 
over  again  the  years  from  childhood  up,  that 
were  another  thing,  that  would  be  a  rebirth  to 
be  wished  for. 

It  might  seem  ridiculous  for  an  adult  to  go  into 
the  infant  class,  but  there  is  no  statute  against  it 
that  I  know  of.  He  could  tear  through  the  first 
books  with  an  ease  that  would  enroll  him  among 
the  prodigies.  And  if  he  were  willing  to  be  an 
actual  child,  if  he  were  not  ashamed  of  the  petty 
tasks,  he  would  be  promoted  from  class  to  class. 
The  scholarships  of  the  higher  schools  would  be 
open  to  him,  and  he  could  in  due  time  reach  a 
position  of  influence  and  honor. 

We  may  imagine  the  word  coming  to  a  man  in 
one  of  our  cities  that  he  is  by  rights  an  English 


216  The  Unexplored  Self 

prince,  stolen  away  in  infancy  and  brought  up  in 
poor  surroundings,  ignorant  and  untrained. 

He  had  been,  let  us  say,  indifferent  as  to  his 
appearance  and  his  manner  of  living,  perhaps 
slouching  in  his  gait,  neglectful  of  cleanliness, 
careless  of  his  language.  Only  news  which 
brought  both  the  sense  of  the  new  birth  and  with 
it  also  the  sense  of  the  need  of  a  new  birth  would 
avail  to  transform  the  man. 

With  such  a  sense,  however,  if  he  were  willing 
to  make  this  new  birth  a  reality,  to  start  as  a  babe, 
to  go  back  to  the  steps  of  infancy,  to  begin  at  the 
very  bottom,  to  mount  stair  by  stair  the  entrance 
to  learning,  to  manhood,  and  to  nobility,  there 
would  be  witnessed  the  new  development,  the 
metamorphosis,  which  is  meant  in  the  doctrine  of 
Regeneration.  Slowly  the  shoulders  would  go 
back  and  the  head  would  become  erect.  There 
would  grow  an  interest  in  books,  in  history,  in 
politics.  The  man's  entire  bearing  toward  life 
and  toward  others  would  be  altered.  Not  a 
single  phase  of  his  thought  and  his  character  but 
would  be  changed,  his  carriage,  his  thinking,  his 
behavior. 


If  he  is  willing  to  make  the  rebirth  a  reality — 
this  is  the  key  to  the  whole  situation. 

The  news  which  comes  to  every  man  is  that  he 
is  by  rights  a  citizen  in  a  grander  kingdom,  a  son  in 


The  Reborn  Self  217 

a  divine  family,  and  that  it  is  for  him  to  accept 
that  citizenship  and  to  lay  claim  to  his  inheritance. 
This  is  a  message  which  is  so  overwhelming  that, 
if  it  were  believed,  makeshift,  temporizing  re- 
forms would  seem  as  silly  as  they  are. 

The  danger  in  the  modern  view  of  evil  is  that  a 
man  may  not  be  moved  to  recognize  how  slovenly 
and  how  unprepared  he  is  for  his  estates.  The 
danger  is  that  a  man  may  hot  be  humble  enough 
to  start  at  the  bottom,  to  take  off  his  pride  and 
fling  it  away. 

To  define  evil  as  good  misplaced  should  not 
palliate  the  evil.  Sin  is  not  an  error  of  judgment. 
It  is  dominance  of  selfishness,  and  is  as  wicked 
to-day  as  it  ever  was,  more  wicked  because  of  the 
very  enlightenment. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  sorrow  for  the  past 
deed,  without  a  repudiation  of  the  old  self.  Such 
sorrow  is  not  enough.  Judas,  for  instance, 
repented  thoroughly  of  his  treachery;  he  brought 
back  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  and  was  so  tor- 
mented with  grief  that  he  went  out  and  hanged 
himself.  It  availed  nothing.  Had  he  been  will- 
ing, not  to  hang  himself,  but  to  ''crucify"  the  old 
self  and  in  true  humility  to  be  born  again,  a  dif- 
ferent destiny  and  a  different  name  would  have 
been  his. 

I  know  of  no  way  to  illustrate  the  significance 
of  the  new  birth  better  than  by  an  imaginary 
picture  of  Judas  renouncing  his  pride  and  starting 


218  The  Unexplored  Self 

all  over  again.  The  picture  is  imaginary,  never- 
theless in  the  experience  of  Christendom  it  is 
thoroughly  true. 

Christ  is  being  led  out  from  the  temple  bearing 
his  cross,  weak  with  torture  and  discouragement, 
when  suddenly  there  presses  out  from  the  throng 
Judas  Iscariot.  He  comes  with  downcast  eyes  to 
his  master's  side  and  not  daring  to  speak  lifts  the 
cross  from  the  tired  shoulder  and  takes  it  upon  his 
own. 

In  meekness  and  humility,  amid  the  jeers  of 
those  who  had  known  his  vain  remorse,  he  starts 
along  the  way.  No  words  are  necessary.  Christ's 
joy  is  too  full  for  utterance.  There  is  no  word  of 
blame,  but  side  by  side  they  go  along  the  road  to 
Calvary.  Judas  is  a  child  once  more,  in  the 
primer  class,  learning  as  an  infant  to  read  and 
spell  in  life's  book. 

This  is,  however,  only  the  start.  From  now  on 
less  and  less  will  it  be  disgust  at  the  selfishness,  and 
more  and  more  will  it  be  the  ideal  and  confidence 
in  the  ideal  which  will  do  the  constructive  work, 
the  work  of  edification,  of  building  up. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

CONFIDENCE  IN  THE  IDEAL 


I  SUPPOSE  laymen  often  wonder  why  preachers 
select  the  topics  that  they  do.  The  news- 
papers display  more  cleverness  in  finding  matters 
of  current  interest. 

Such  a  subject  as  this  which  we  have  picked  out 
is  somewhat  remote.  Any  subject  which  con- 
tains the  word  ideal  savors  of  the  visionary  and 
unpractical.  Ideals  are  for  the  transcendent al- 
ists,  not  for  the  twentieth  century.  Ideals  are 
for  talkers  and  not  for  doers. 

The  apparent  divergence  of  preachers  from 
popular  interests  is  due,  however,  more  to  the 
words  used  than  to  an  actual  separation  in 
thought.  Language  is  not  a  flexible  medium,  and 
it  takes  time  to  fill  in  the  chasm  between  words 
which  concern  only  the  immediate  and  those 
which  look  at  life  in  its  universal  aspect. 

This  process  of  filling  in  the  chasm  is  now  going 
on.  Every  day  words  are  being  given  a  wider 
bearing  and  the  eternal  words  are  being  related  to 

219 


220  The  Unexplored  Self 

the  now.  We  are  beginning  to  see  that  the 
religious  word  God  and  the  practical  word  purpose 
are  not  far  apart;  that  faith  and  valuation  are 
closely  allied;  that  worth  and  love  are  kindred 
words;  that  love  of  neighbor  is  much  the  same 
thing  as  public  spirit. 

So  our  subject  instead  of  being  called  Con- 
fidence in  the  Ideal,  might  be  called  Success. 
The  latter  title  would  at  once  strike  a  resonant 
chord,  for  there  is  no  one,  no  matter  how  cynical, 
who  does  not  delight  in  success.  He  may  retain 
a  wearied  attitude  and  scoff  at  ambition,  but 
inwardly  his  heart  leaps  in  achievement.  We 
might  have  entitled  our  subject  Success,  but  the 
title  we  have  chosen  indicates  more  accurately 
the  method  of  success  and  the  larger  bearings  of 
success. 

For  it  is  confidence  in  the  ideal  that  takes  the 
boy  or  girl  from  the  regular  routine  and  brings 
him  or  her  into  the  region  of  greater  possibility. 
It  is  confidence  in  the  ideal  that  over-rides  the 
dissuasion  of  friends  and  the  disheartenment  of 
enemies  and  finally  results  in  accomplishment. 
It  is  confidence  in  the  ideal  that  builds  the  big 
things  of  which  men  boast.  It  is  confidence  in 
the  ideal  that  earns  a  man  advancement. 

It  is  confidence  in  the  ideal  that  makes  the  suc- 
cessful artists,  writers,  inventors.  And  outsiders 
little  know  how  many  shocks  that  confidence 
receives,  how  many  times  it  almost  fails  under 


Confidence  in  the  Ideal  221 

discouragements,  ere  the  success  be  attained. 
Outsiders  little  know  how  great  the  confidence 
must  needs  be. 


This  is  an  age  of  reason,  an  age  when  men 
boast  of  calmness  and  circumspection,  but  the 
deliberation  appears,  as  a  rule,  only  when  the  call 
is  to  follow  the  ideal,  not  when  the  call  is  to  self- 
indulgence  or  deceptive  pleasures.  In  the  wrong- 
doing of  this  age  of  reason,  recklessness  is  very 
little  abated.  It  is  characteristic  that  men  move 
cautiously  toward  the  good,  but  plunge  when 
questionable  practices  are  concerned.  A  man 
thumbs  the  pennies  he  gives  to  a  good  cause;  he 
tosses  the  bills  about  in  a  saloon  or  at  the  race- 
track. A  man  counts  the  cost  when  the  appeal  is 
to  stand  for  the  right ;  he  throws  discretion  to  the 
winds  under  the  call  of  temptation. 

If  men  were  as  willing  to  burn  the  bridges 
behind  them  in  setting  out  on  the  narrow  way 
as  they  are  when  they  start  down  the  broad  way, 
the  Great  White  Way  that  leads  to  destruction, 
there  would  be  more  perseverance  of  the  saints. 

It  is  when  the  call  comes  to  a  higher  and  purer 
life  that  the  words  straightway  and  immediately  are 
the  fitting  words ;  on  the  other  hand  when  things 
appear  with  even  a  possible  taint  of  wrong  it  is 
well  to  hesitate.  Gently,  slowly,  in  yielding  to  any 
impulse  that  might  possibly  strengthen  the  lower 


222  The  Unexplored  Self 

nature ;  but  immediately  and  straightway  when  in- 
spiration comes;   there  is  no  time  to  lose;  every-, 
thing  else  is  to  be  cast  aside.     It  is  a  rush  order. 

The  call  for  promptness  is  not  merely  because  if 
taken  at  the  beginning  the  paths  lie  more  readily 
to  the  heights ;  as  in  mountain  climbing  the  roads 
to  the  top  begin  at  the  edge  of  the  ascent,  and  if 
these  roads  are  not  taken  at  the  first,  precipices 
soon  make  the  heights  inaccessible. 

The  call  is  for  a  confidence  in  the  goods  that  are 
to  be  obtained.  In  every  ordinary  walk  of  life 
men  recognize  the  need  of  courage  and  push. 
Even  more  is  courage  and  push  needed  when  the 
prize  is  another  kind  of  treasure.  Narrower 
forms  of  experience  have  formulated  the  thought 
in  many  ways.  We  are  told  to  strike  when  the 
iron  is  hot.  We  are  told,  well  begun  is  half  done; 
fast  bind  fast  find;  only  the  brave  deserve  the  fair. 

We  are  told  that  fortune  favors  the  valiant. 
The  thought  of  ancient  mythology  was  that 
Fortune,  depicted  with  the  hair  short  back  of  the 
head,  if  she  was  to  be  seized  at  all,  was  to  be 
seized  while  coming  toward  one.  These  maxims 
may  well  be  transferred  to  the  domain  of  riches 
that  are  not  so  tangible. 


The  difficulty  is  that  ideals  come  at  rather 
unusual  times.     They  seem  to  be  so  fleeting  that 


Confidence  in  the  Ideal  223 

the  common-sense  man  is  inclined  to  think  them 
not  permanent  and  real. 

It  is  easy  to  assume  that  the  more  usual  is  the 
more  real.  It  is  hard  to  believe  that  the  man's 
highest  self,  which  he  touches  only  at  fleeting 
moments,  is  his  truest  self. 

One  of  the  secrets  of  progress  is  to  grasp  what 
might  readily  pass  away  as  a  mere  possibility  and 
to  make  it  permanent. 

A  man  who  is  tempering  a  blade  alternately 
heats  and  cools  it  till  at  one  instant  there  shines 
out  the  right  glow  and  immediately  he  plunges  it 
into  the  water.  He  has  caught  and  held  the  best 
moment. 

So  an  artist  painting  a  landscape  works  leisurely 
watching  the  changing  tints.  Then  suddenly  there 
flashes  out  from  the  sky  a  special  hue,  and  the 
artist's  whole  manner  becomes  different.  Straight- 
way he  dips  his  brush  into  new  colors,  painting  over 
much  that  was  on  his  canvas  before.  His  hand 
moves  with  great  rapidity.  He  is  making  that 
evanescent  tone  which  others  perhaps  at  first 
will  call  untrue — he  is  making  it  stay  so  that  the 
next  time  the  sceptics  may  see  it  in  the  heavens. 

More  are  doubtless  familiar  with  the  process  in 
developing  a  negative  for  a  photograph.  The 
plate  is  carefully  watched  in  the  bath  till  the 
maximum  distinctness  and  reality  is  reached,  and 
straightway  and  immediately  the  plate  is  placed 
in  the  fixer. 


224  The  Unexplored  Self 

A  man's  highest  self,  even  though  he  touches  it 
at  fleeting  moments,  is  his  truest  self. 

A  man  sunken  in  his  evil  way,  for  a  moment 
comes  to  himself.  It  is  a  moment  of  revelation. 
His  eyes  are  turned  away  from  the  straws  which 
he  has  been  raking  and  he  has  the  vision  of  a  pure 
life,  sweet  and  kindly.  He  sees  the  crown  held 
out  to  him  above. 

His  inclination  is  to  say :  This  is  but  a  passing 
whim;  this  is  not  real;  to-morrow  I  will  be  back 
with  my  old  eyes  again.  The  inclination  is  to  be 
cool  and  calm  about  it,  to  settle  back,  to  wait  and 
see  what  the  morrow  will  show,  to  revert  to  the 
straws  and  through  distrust  of  the  ideal  to  lose  the 
opportunity. 

The  example  of  all  the  world's  noble  men  would 
counsel,  Spring  up  immediately;  straightway  press 
toward  the  prize;  reach  up  to  the  best  there  is  in 
you  and  make  that  fixed;  for  your  highest  self  is 
your  truest  self. 

People  distrust  their  enthusiasms  because  they 
seem  so  unreliable.  But  the  periods  of  enthusiasm 
are  the  ones  when  a  man  really  lives.  The  rest 
of  the  time  he  is  spiritless,  a  digesting,  logical 
organism.  That  the  flint  is  ordinarily  cold  and 
inert  does  not  decide  the  nature  of  the  flint.  It  is 
the  sparks  which  give  it  its  best  description  and 
show  it  of  the  substance  of  the  stars.  The  flint 
enters  into  a  higher  range  of  usefulness  because  that 
spark  can  be  caught  and  kindled  into  a  flame. 


Confidence  in  the  Ideal  225 


When  an  appeal  is  made  in  behalf  of  some  good 
cause,  men  perceive  an  unaccustomed  feeling  of 
sympathy  corning  over  them.  What  is  this  new 
feeling,  they  say,  this  sympathy,  this  love?  there 
was  none  of  it  yesterday ;  I  doubt  if  there  will  be 
any  of  it  to-morrow.  They  say,  I  must  pull  myself 
together;  it  is  a  hypnotic  influence;  it  is  a  weak- 
ness to  acknowledge  the  speaker's  power;  I  will 
resist  the  impulse  to  pledge  my  help. 

And  they  do.  They  return  to  the  lower  plane 
of  selfishness  and  they  congratulate  themselves 
the  next  day  that  they  refused  to  let  their  emotions 
sway  them.  Of  course,  from  the  lower  plane, 
unselfishness  seems  absurd.  But  if  they  had 
pledged  themselves  and  made  that  unselfish 
impulse  fast,  they  would  have  been  glad  of  its 
permanence  and  welcomed  the  sensation  of  mov- 
ing in  a  less  selfish  track. 

A  man  who  feels  a  yearning  to  help  another 
may  resist  and  later  be  glad  he  resisted,  or  else  if 
he  gives  the  assistance  he  will  be  glad  he  did.  A 
man  can  fall  back  to  the  lower  level  whence  noble 
thoughts  will  appear  foolish,  or  else  he  can  abide 
in  the  higher  altitude  and  find  the  greater  joy 
of  it. 

Sometimes  can  be  seen  a  fleet  of  sailboats 
anchored  or  tacking  back  and  forth  outside  the 
bar  till  the  tide  reaches  the  flood.     Then  all  sail  is 

IS 


226  The  Unexplored  Self 

set  to  cross  the  bar  into  the  harbor  while  the  tide 
is  full. 

Coming  to  the  life  of  love  is  something  like 
that.  The  Christ  may  pass  and  repass  while 
Peter  and  Andrew,  John  and  James,  learn  to 
admire  him  and  to  love  him.  Then  there  comes 
a  day  when  the  call  is  heard ;  the  ideal  stands  out 
clear;  Peter  and  John  see  that  life  is  more  than 
meat,  that  men  are  more  important  than  nets  and 
fish,  that  nets  and  fish  are  to  be  used  only  for 
the  higher  profession  of  helping  men.  Nets  and 
fish  had  been  their  great  interest;  henceforward 
humanity  is  to  be  their  central  interest.  They 
are  to  become  fishers  of  men.  Humanity,  or  the 
divine  in  humanity  is  to  be  the  final  object  of  all 
endeavor. 

Immediately  and  straightway  are  the  words 
used  of  their  response.  They  are  the  right  words 
to  associate  with  such  ideals. 

The  supposition  prevails  that  an  ideal  is  a 
vague  and  irresponsible  thing,  as  uncontrollable 
as  genius.  This  is  a  wrong  supposition.  The 
ideal  may  be  a  definite  purpose  and  can  be  as 
directly  cultivated  as  can  a  pansy  in  a  flower  bed. 
It  is  to  this  end  that  churches  exist  and  the  culture 
of  the  highest  ideals  is  the  special  function  of  the 
Church. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  PLACE  OF  THE  CHURCH 


A  CERTAIN  man  wanted  Christ  to  act  as 
judge  between  him  and  his  brother  about 
an  inheritance.  Christ  refused.  This  refusal 
surprised  the  man  and  has  surprised  many  since. 
Why  should  not  the  religious  leader  be  the  best 
civil  judge? 

The  Old  Testament,  like  the  man  in  the  narra- 
tive, wanted  the  State  to  be  under  the  Church. 
Its  goal  was  Theocracy.  Its  law  was  priest-made. 
The  palace  was  subordinate  to  the  temple. 

The  theory  seemed  good,  but  Christ,  with  a 
remarkable  common-sense,  believed  in  separating 
Church  and  State,  and  history  has  shown  him 
right. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  look  through  history 
and  study  the  vain  attempts  to  unify  the  two 
organizations.  There  are  many  instances:  the 
latei  Roman  empires,  the  Mohammedan  govern- 
ments, the  Roman  Catholic  efforts,  Calvin's 
so-called  Republic  at  Geneva,  and  many  more. 

227 


228  The  Unexplored  Self 

In  all  such  unions  if  the  Church  does  dominate, 
the  administration  is  either  fanatic  or  weak,  and 
it  is  not  long  before  policy  gets  the  right  of  way 
and  the  Church  loses  its  religious  vitality. 

This  is  inherent  in  the  nature  of  the  case. 
They  have  entirely  different  functions.  The 
work  of  the  Church  is  to  provide  ideals  and  to 
awaken  the  deeper  desires.  The  work  of  the 
State  is  to  regard  the  expedient. 


The  Church  looks  to  the  future  and  at  the 
present  through  the  future.  The  State  looks  to 
the  present  and  at  the  future  through  the  present. 

Both  standpoints  are  necessary,  but  the  same 
organization  cannot  well  carry  out  the  divergent 
views;  because  only  few  see  the  same  future  and 
therefore  the  bodies  which  look  at  the  present 
through  the  future  must  necessarily  be  many  and 
must  be  unshackled.  I  mean  that  there  must  be 
perfect  freedom  in  their  constitutions  and  doc- 
trines. Ideals  have  such  delicate  wings  that  no 
restraints  must  be  placed  upon  them. 

When,  however,  we  come  to  the  actual  present, 
the  majority  strength  or  the  majority  vote  is  in 
the  long  run  the  safest  legislature. 

In  matters  spiritual  subjection  to  an  authority 
is  oppression.  In  matters  temporal  subjection  to 
an  authority  is  the  only  safeguard  against  anarchy. 


The  Place  of  the  Church  229 

In  matters  spiritual  subjection  to  a  majority- 
vote  is  tyrannical.  In  matters  temporal  the  ma- 
jority vote  is  the  only  safeguard  against  tyranny. 

No  man  should  be  let  or  hindered  in  his  vision 
and  propaganda  of  the  more  distant  goods.  A 
man's  present  actions  must  needs  be  controlled 
and  regulated  by  a  strong  arm. 


I  see  no  reason  for  deploring  the  division  of  the 
Church  into  different  denominations.  The  pur- 
pose of  life  and  the  way  of  attaining  the  purpose  is 
not  clear  enough  for  detailed  agreement.  Diverg- 
ent views  must  have  entire  liberty  to  struggle  for 
existence  and  to  work  out  a  survival  of  the  fittest. 

The  variety  of  the  world  views  is  the  best  evi- 
dence of  vitality  and  growth.  That  the  ideals 
run  so  far  in  advance  of  the  actual  gives  us  our 
belief  in  progress.  Were  we  to  have  but  one 
denomination  it  would  be  at  the  expense  of  the 
content  of  religious  experience. 

A  Church  separate  from  the  State  provides  a 
solution  for  the  antithesis  between  the  ideal  and 
the  practical.  It  is  a  sempiternal  problem,  as 
we  know,  in  regard  to  sabbath  observance,  in 
regard  to  intemperance,  in  regard  to  divorces, 
whether  the  ideal  or  practical  is  to  control. 

When  the  antithesis  between  the  ideal  and  prac- 
tical comes  up  in  the  individual  life,  there  must  be 
civil  war  in  the  one  mind.     The  individual  man 


230  The  Unexplored  Self 

has  the  difficult  task  of  fighting  out  in  a  single 
organism  the  two  controls.  What  one  most 
wishes  to  do  is  rarely  what  one  is  best  able  to  do. 
Many  a  faithful  farm  horse  has  worn  out  his 
heart  pushed  on  in  the  races;  and  many  a  noble 
scion  has  broken  his  heart  tugging  at  the  plough. 

Many  a  man  has  been  badly  stung  because  he 
hived  a  presidential  bee  in  his  bonnet.  He  might 
have  been  a  greater  man  if  he  had  not  been  so 
ambitious.  It  is  rubbish  to  say:  Aim  high,  for 
you  can  attain  what  you  set  out  for.  Persever- 
ence  has  often  done  wonders,  but  quite  as  often 
misplaced  ambition  has  ended  in  misery. 

It  is  frequently  an  anxious  problem.  May  not 
the  two  birds  in  the  bush  be  worth  much  more 
than  the  one  in  the  hand?  and  again,  in  snatching 
at  the  shadow  in  the  brook  may  one  not  lose  what 
he  already  has? 


Fortunately  in  the  matter  of  community  action 
there  can  be  separate  bodies,  one  to  determine  the 
ought  and  another  the  expedient. 

In  this  statement  there  is  a  frank  distinction 
between  what  ought  to  be  done  and  what  it  is 
expedient  to  do.  Such  a  distinction  is  disturbing 
to  many  who  say  that  expediency  should  promptly 
give  way  to  right.  They  are  back  with  the  Old 
Testament  subordination  of  the  State  to  the 
Church.  They  can  take  a  high  moral  stand  and 
make  a  vehement  protest. 


The  Place  of  the  Church  231 

I  also  could  be  a  zealot  here  and  rave  against 
mediation  and  against  the  caution  and  narrow- 
ness of  the  practical  administrator;  nevertheless 
the  distinction  is  valid  if  we  remember  that  there 
is  little  chance  for  agreement  as  to  the  more  dis- 
tant aims,  while  there  is  some  prospect  of  at  least 
a  majority  agreement  as  to  expediency. 

Let  the  man  who  would  govern  the  present 
course  by  the  needs  of  the  distant  future  make 
that  future  so  convincing  that  he  wins  a  majority 
to  his  views,  then  his  suggestions  will  pass  from 
the  realm  of  the  ideal  to  that  of  the  practical,  and 
his  proposals  will  become  not  merely  a  matter  of 
ought  but  also  expedient. 

To  be  sure,  the  majority  opinion  is  never  up  to 
the  high  mark  of  some  individual  opinions  and 
when  legislation  is  left  in  the  hands  of  the 
majority,  the  resultant  statutes  are  not  so  good  as 
those  that  might  be  formulated  by  some  of  the 
wiser  and  nobler  heads;  nevertheless  a  majority 
opinion  again  best  determines  which  of  the  various 
leading  minds  are  truly  wiser  and  nobler,  and  so 
we  are  back  with  an  organization  necessarily  dif- 
ferent from  those  which  foster  the  ideal. 


There  are  many  reasons  for  going  into  this  dis- 
cussion as  carefully  as  we  have. 

In  the  first  place,  the  question  of  the  separation 


232  The  Unexplored  Self 

of  the  State  and  Church  is  right  to  the  fore  in 
England,  France,  Spain,  and  in  most  of  the 
European  countries. 

Our  sympathies  are  variously  drawn  out  by  the 
contending  factions.  It  is  well  to  have  an  under- 
standing of  the  broader  issues  involved. 

In  the  second  place,  the  argument  for  the 
separation  of  the  Church  and  the  State  has  not 
been  as  convincing  as  the  common  verdict  of  his- 
tory would  lead  us  to  expect.  The  argument  has 
even  favored  the  union  rather  than  the  separation. 
The  spirit  of  the  age  is  toward  consolidation. 
Consolidation  combines  the  advantages  of 
economy  and  of  increased  efficiency. 

With  such  arguments  a  statesman  either 
regards  the  Church  as  unnecessary,  or  would 
manage  it  as  a  part  of  the  State.  The  prophet, 
likewise,  looking  for  the  shortest  cut  to  his  goal, 
longs  for  the  power  to  legislate. 

As  against  the  argument  of  such  statesmen  and 
prophets,  however,  those  nations  are  strongest 
both  in  matters  of  Church  and  in  matters  of  State 
which  have  separated  the  two.  And  the  recent 
history  of  France  and  the  present  agitation  in 
England  and  elsewhere  would  show  that  the 
separation  is  worth  carrying  out  at  considerable 
cost. 

6 

In  the  third  place,  there  is  reason  for  going  into 


The  Place  of  the  Church,         233 

this  matter  carefully  because  it  makes  clearer  the 
place  and  the  part  of  institutional  work  in  the 
Church. 

In  the  minds  of  many  the  influence  of  the 
Church  is  to  be  reasserted  by  putting  all  the 
emphasis  upon  institutional  work.  There  are 
men  who  thoroughly  approve  of  the  kindergartens, 
the  sewing  schools,  the  gymnasiums,  the  free 
clinics,  and  such  like,  but  speak  slightingly  of 
Church  worship.  They  will  contribute  to  settle- 
ment work,  but  not  to  the  Church  proper. 

They  have  little  understood  the  reason  for  the 
Church  who  do  not  realize  that  the  institutional 
features  ought  to  be  but  a  small  part  of  it. 
In  saying  this,  I  do  not  mean  let  there  be  less 
institutional  features,  but  I  mean  let  there  be  a 
preponderatingly  greater  sense  of  the  deeper  work 
of  the  Church. 

I  think  the  time  will  come  when  the  city, 
because  of  the  inspiration  of  the  churches,  will 
furnish  leaders  of  boys'  clubs  and  of  girls'  clubs, 
will  furnish  rooms  for  meetings,  plenty  of  gym- 
nasium facilities,  and  most  of  the  features  which  at 
present  are  fostered  by  the  more  far-seeing  heads. 

Education  was  in  the  hands  of  the  churches  till 
it  was  proven  practical  and  expedient  and  then  it 
became  compulsory  under  the  State.  So  prob- 
ably it  will  be  with  many  of  the  experiments  now 
made  by  the  institutional  churches. 

The   Church  is  far   more  than   a  centre  for 


234  The  Unexplored  Self 

charities ;  civic  bodies  can  probably  better  admin- 
ister charities.  The  Church  is  far  more  than  a 
centre  for  philanthropic  activities.  It  is,  through 
its  motivations,  the  inspirer  of  philanthropy. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that 
those  institutional  branches  prosper  best  which 
are  wholly  separated  in  their  administration  from 
the  church  that  provides  the  support.  And 
even  in  the  Church  itself  there  are  usually  two 
separate  internal  systems,  one  administrative  and 
the  other  inspirational.  The  Presbyterians,  for 
instance,  have  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  the 
Board  of  Elders,  the  Congregationalists  have  the 
Society  and  the  Church,  the  Episcopalians  have 
the  Vestry  and  the  Wardens. 


In  the  fourth  place  the  argument  for  the  sep- 
aration of  the  Church  and  State  is  important 
because  there  are  those  who  criticise  the  Church 
for  not  plunging  into  the  political  movements. 
They  would  use  the  Church  largely  as  an  instru- 
ment for  carrying  through  legislative  reforms. 

Christian  Socialism  is  in  great  vogue.  The 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  vigorously  interpreted  as 
the  body  politic,  and  the  Church  is  urged  to 
become  the  great  directive  force. 

But  the  Church's  work  is  far  wider  than  that  of 
advocating  better  social  conditions  and  reforms, 
and  of  eliminating  poverty.     It  is  to  make  so 


The  Place  of  the  Church  235 

clear  the  big  principles  of  right  and  purpose  that 
citizens  will  of  themselves  support  the  nobler 
causes. 

We  said  that  the  Church  looked  at  the  pres- 
ent through  the  future.  It  must  not  forget  the 
present.  He  has  every  reason  to  doubt  his  re- 
ligion who  does  not  find  it  driving  him  to  make 
his  ideal  actual. 

The  union  of  the  two  is  effectively  restored 
when  every  Church  member  is  aroused  to  patriot- 
ism and  when  every  citizen  is  a  sincere  supporter 
of  some  church. 

The  present  and  the  future  are  each  intimately 
dependent  on  the  other.  Heaven  will  not  come 
as  a  cataclysm  but  as  a  part  of  the  same  evolution 
which  is  now  going  on.  As  was  said  in  the  last 
chapter,  love  of  God  is  not  very  different  from  the 
thought  of  a  valid  purpose  in  activity,  and  love 
of  neighbor  is  not  very  different  from  public 
spirit. 

The  present  stand  for  civic  betterment  is  essen- 
tial ;  still  it  is  only  a  part  of  a  much  more  difficult 
stand  in  behalf  of  the  ideals  and  principles  which 
impel  to  a  desire  for  civic  betterment. 


8 


In  the  fifth  place,  the  argument  for  the  sep- 
aration of  the  Church  and  State  is  important  so 
that  men  may  have  the  true  regard  and  love  for 


236  The  Unexplored  Self 

the  Church,  and  so  that  men  may  obtain  the  right 
benefit  from  the  Church. 

The  special  work  of  the  Church  is  to  quicken 
and  make  real  the  deeper  values  and  desires. 
That  life  is  more  than  meat  and  the  body  than 
raiment,  this  is  the  inspiration  that  is  needed. 

Different  churches  make  the  appeal  in  different 
ways.  The  denominational  lines  are  rather  arti- 
ficial, like  the  parallels  and  meridians.  There  is 
more  difference  often  between  two  churches  in 
the  same  denomination  than  between  those  of 
different  denominations. 

The  profounder  desires  may  be  stirred  by 
arguments,  by  exhortation,  by  liturgical  accom- 
paniments— the  methods  are  manifold.  They  all 
have  their  place.  But  the  appeal  is  the  distinct 
work  of  the  Church,  and  it  is  essential  to  the 
salvation  of  society. 

What  society  needs  is  that  men  be  aroused  to 
the  deeper  currents,  the  under  currents  of  their 
lives,  that  they  cease  to  be  satisfied  with  the  sur- 
face motives ;  and  no  body  or  organization  can  do 
this  save  the  Church.  The  State  cannot  do  it; 
the  fraternal  order  cannot  do  it.  Any  club  or 
order  which  sets  out  to  stir  men  to  an  appreciation 
of  the  permanent  and  the  eternal  motives  becomes 
a  church. 

Church  services  are  held  not  to  arouse  men  to 
contribute  to  settlement  work,  not  to  teach 
morality  and  public  spirit.     The  Sacraments  are 


The  Place  of  the  Church  237 

administered  to  make  men  realize  their  responsi- 
bility to  God,  their  relation  to  the  larger  life,  their 
exaltation  above  the  earthy  and  material,  the 
nearness  of  the  unseen  world. 

Every  part  of  the  service  should  have  a  religious 
meaning,  to  kindle  and  enflame  the  better  im- 
pulses. Not  any  of  it  should  be  regarded  as 
preliminary  or  for  ornament  and  embellishment. 

I  believe  that  if  men  better  understood  the  place 
of  the  Church  and  the  impossibility  of  any  other 
organization's  taking  its  place,  there  would  be  a 
new  burst  of  affection  for  the  Church,  more  zeal 
in  its  support,  and  greater  benefits  from  its 
services. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  MEN  AND  WOMEN  OF  TO-MORROW 


THE  word  kingdom,  as  used  in  the  frequent 
New  Testament  phrases,  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  means  rule  or 
reign  and  not  a  locality  or  territory. 

We  are  beginning  to  understand  that  this  reign 
did  not  refer  to  a  remote  place  and  to  a  distant 
date,  not  to  a  coming  millennium,  but  that  the 
new  allegiance  was  to  be  accepted  by  the  disciples 
at  once. 

The  understanding  that  this  kingdom  is  mun- 
dane, at  least  in  part,  has  been  an  important 
thing  for  the  Church,  since  it  has  overcome  the 
separation  which  many  were  making  between 
practical  people  interested  in  the  now,  and  Chris- 
tians interested  in  the  hereafter. 

There  are  indeed  quite  a  few  passages  in  the 
Gospels,  called  the  Parousia  passages,  which  dis- 
tinctly speak  of  the  kingdom  as  something  to  be 
manifested  in  the  future  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  writers  so  understood  some  of 

238 


Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow    239 

Christ's  sayings.  These  passages  have  been 
curiously  used  for  figuring  out.  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Set  over  against  such  interpretations,  however, 
there  stands,  aside  from  plain  words,  the  whole 
spirit  of  the  Gospel,  for  Christ  did  not  intend 
men  to  occupy  themselves  with  any  catastrophic 
millennium. 

We  should  not  be  too  quick  in  concluding  that 
the  disciples  misinterpreted  the  sense  to  such  an 
extent  that  there  remains  no  hope  of  knowing 
what  Christ  really  meant. 

It  will  be  moving  in  the  direction  of  the  dom- 
inant trend  of  the  Gospels  to  find  a  more  imme- 
diate meaning  in  any  of  these  sayings  which  have 
usually  been  taken  to  refer  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 


Perfectly  consistent  is  it  to  speak  of  the  rule  of 
God    as   something    hidden   which  will    have    a 

sudden  and  surprising   manifestation; For  as 

the  lightning  that  lightneth  out  of  one  part  under 
heaven  shineth  unto  another  part  under  heaven, 

so  shall  the  son  of  man  be  in  his  day it  is 

perfectly  consistent  to  use  such  words  and  yet 
refer  to  things  present. 

The  suggestion  is  natural  to  take  this  kingdom 
that  " cometh  not  with  observation' '  as  a  ref- 
erence to  a  secret  rule  whether  of  good  or  of  bad, 


240  The  Unexplored  Self 

which  grows  up  within  a  man  and  within  society, 
and,  weaving  into  the  eternal  forces,  at  last 
governs. 

Unperceived  there  organizes  another  power, 
aside  from  the  one  outwardly  known,  from  the 
despot  will  which  manages  the  conscious  choices, 
and  from  the  de  jure  government  with  its  enacted 
statutes — another  rule  which  slowly  obtains  the 
the  grip  on  things  and  finally  takes  affairs  into 
its  hand. 

By  a  natural  process  a  cabinet,  or  a  political 
machine,  or  a  code  of  legalism  is  formed  till  in 
time  the  original  power  has  become  a  figure-head 
while  the  real  control  has  passed  to  this  hidden 
rule  which  is  in  touch  with  the  sources  of  author- 
ity. Very  few  of  the  actions  of  the  human  body 
or  of  a  body  politic  are  consciously  determined. 

It  is  in  the  sense  of  this  other  rule,  in  touch  with 
the  elemental  powers,  that  we  are  to  read,  I 
believe,  some  at  least  of  the  references  to  the 
secret  coming  of  the  kingdom. 


It  is  a  lesson  of  the  postponed  appearance  of 
the  final  rule.  The  lesson  is  not  that  of  recogniz- 
ing the  power  of  habits.  It  is  not  the  old  proverb 
that  the  tree  will  grow  as  the  twig  is  bent.  The 
rule  of  which  it  speaks  is  an  energy,  not  a  rut  or 
groove.  It  is  an  actual  force  that  takes  the 
initiative  and  so  directs  and  executes. 


Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow    241 

Habits  are  related  to  the  mechanical  world. 
This  rule  is  related  to  the  creative  world,  to  the 
world  of  initiation,  and  so  to  the  spirit  world. 

The  mind  is  not  a  passive  coil  of  wire  through 
which  the  thoughts  pass  and  repass  and  where  the 
will  always  determines  the  direction,  but  every 
current  that  goes  through  leaves  a  deposit  and  in 
time  the  inherent  electricity,  responsive  to  the 
outer  forces,  determines  the  direction  of  the  flow. 

The  falsehood  which  a  child  tells  and  soon  for- 
gets, the  inner  rule  does  not  forget  nor  will  it  ever 
forget.  Every  event  establishes  a  permanent 
contact  with  the  universal  currents.  Every  act 
is  a  new  stitch  weaving  the  soul  permanently  into 
the  great  fabric  of  reality. 

The  intellectual  and  emotional  linkings  of 
childhood  are  never  broken,  never  left  behind. 
They  constitute  an  invisible  spirit,  an  intangible 
second  soul  which  in  time  takes  on  coherency  and 
controls  the  outer  acts,  somewhat  as  the  unseen 
arrangement  of  the  dancing  particles  in  the  win- 
dow pane  determines  the  feathery  forms  of  the 
frost  which  astonish  and  delight  on  a  winters 
morning. 


Here,  then,  is  the  undeniable  fact  of  two  rules, 
a  divided  camp,  and  some  have  gone  so  far  as  to 
speak  of  the  other  rule  as  a  secondary  personality. 
16 


242  The  Unexplored  Self 

The  two  rules  are  spoken  of  by  some  as  the 
spirit  of  good  and  the  spirit  of  evil,  the  one  righting 
against  the  other  for  the  possession  of  the  soul. 

Some  speak  of  their  lives  as  a  constant  conflict 
against  the  Evil  One  who  has  found  a  dwelling  in 
their  hearts.  With  such  people  the  good  in  me  is 
myself  and  the  bad  is  the  Devil. 

With  others  the  idea  is  reversed.  Everything 
good  in  me  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
everything  bad  is  my  own  doing  This  way  of 
considering  the  matter  has  the  virtue  of  greater 
humility. 

The  Apostle  Paul  stated  his  experience  in  his 
usual  vigorous  way :  For  what  I  would  that  do  I 
not,  but  what  I  hate  that  do  I  .  .  .  For  the  good 
that  I  would  that  do  I  not,  but  the  evil  which  I 
hate  that  do  I. 

Such  expressions  have  often  seemed  self-con- 
tradictory and  unscientific.  The  most  recent 
conclusions  of  mental  study,  however,  confirm 
and  give  a  basis  to  these  experiences. 

Some  writers  on  mental  science  have  called  this 
hidden  rule  which  comes  not  with  observation  the 
subconscious  self.  This  phrase  is  to  be  introduced 
with  an  apology,  for  it  has  been  indiscriminately 
applied  to  bolster  up  all  sorts  of  silly  and  immature 
speculations.  As  a  consequence  of  the  misuse  of 
the  phrase  there  is  reason  for  caution  in  employing 
it. 

The  fact  of  some  equivalent  to  a  subconscious 


Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow    243 

rule  and  control,  however,  is  uncontested.  The 
name  happens  to  be  recent  and  happens  to  be 
smirched  by  new  and  crude  thought,  so  that  we 
shall  be  chary  in  its  use. 


When  mental  science  tells  us  to  be  on  the  watch 
in  respect  to  this  subconscious  self,  it  would  be 
quite  willing  to  use  the  language  of  Scripture: 
If  the  good  man  of  the  household  had  known  at 
what  hour  the  thief  would  come  he  would  have 
watched  and  would  not  have  suffered  his  house 
to  be  broken  up;  .  .  .  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye 
know  not  at  what  hour  your  lord  cometh. 

Men  fail  to  watch.  They  go  on  carelessly  and 
serenely,  thinking  themselves  unharmed  by  in- 
dulgences since  they  still  possess  their  wills. 

All  the  while  the  hidden  rule,  working  its  way 
in  from  without,  is  gaining  power,  till  at  last  the 
real  impotency  of  the  will  is  apparent. 

Men  think  that  they  have  entire  control  of 
themselves  and  therefore  can  give  in  to  unseen 
vices,  to  projects  that  are  not  with  observation. 
They  suddenly  find  that  when  the  hour  of  the 
thier  has  come,  the  usurper  asserts  his  power, 
the  paper  crown  on  the  puppet  will  is  tossed  into 
the  general  holocaust,  and  misrule  is  supreme. 

A  man  who  has  been  punctilious  in  his  Church 
observances  and  regular  in  his  devotions,  but  at 
heart  smiting  his  fellow-servants  .  .  .  the  lord  of 


244  The  Unexplored  Self 

that  servant  shall  come  in  a  day  that  he  looketh 
not  for  him  and  shall  appoint  him  his  place  with 
the  hypocrites. 

The  thought  of  this  inner  rule  comes  as  a  cry  of 
danger.  It  is  saddening  to  think  of  the  men  who 
protest  against  that  captivity  in  which  they  sud- 
denly find  themselves,  their  futile  struggles,  their 
brief  reforms,  their  losing  fight. 

They  once  boasted  that  they  would  never  part 
with  their  freedom,  never  would  submit  to  a  yoke, 
never  would  pledge  their  future  conduct.  Now 
they  realize  that  they  are  not  doing  what  they 
want  to  do  and  that  they  cannot  do  as  they  choose. 

Those  whose  hidden  self  has  the  same  inclina- 
tions as  the  conscious  self  are  little  aware  of  the 
power  of  this  rule  that  cometh  not  with  observa- 
tion. By  it  the  direction  of  a  man's  life  is  taken 
as  completely  out  of  his  hands  as  is  the  beating  of 
his  heart  or  the  prevention  of  his  respiration. 

Men  who  endeavor  to  resist  the  rule  appreci- 
ate this  struggle.  They  begin  to  grow  uneasy. 
They  walk  to  and  fro.  They  clinch  their  fists, 
but  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred  they 
surrender. 

The  lesson  of  the  unobserved  coming  has, 
however,  its  obverse  and  bright  side.  Men  who 
have  been  unconsciously  preparing  themselves  by 
kindliness  and  sympathy  will  be  surprised  to 
find  that  a  power  above  that  of  their  own  has  come 
to  place  them  in  the  kingdom  and  to  hold  them 


Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow    245 

there.  They  had  fed  the  hungry,  noticed 
strangers,  clothed  the  destitute,  visited  the  sick, 
and  now  they  find  themselves  possessed  by  the 
rule  that  had  been  prepared  for  them  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 


The  science  of  mind  uses  the  phrase,  the  sub- 
conscious self;  Theology  speaks  both  of  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  the  recrudescence  of  the 
old  Adam;  Christ  taught  the  return  of  his  own 
spirit;  Paul  spoke  of  the  divided  self;  some  have 
thought  themselves  possessed  of  devils;  some 
have  said  an  angel  directed  them;  some  have 
thought  themselves  driven  by  fate. 

Whatever  form  of  expression  is  used,  the  fact  is 
of  vital  significance  in  Christian  and  in  all  re- 
ligious experience  and  is  especially  significant  for 
the  training  of  youth. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  this  closing  chapter  is 
entitled,  The  Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow. 

It  is  the  men  and  women  of  to-morrow  who,  in 
the  formative  period,  are  developing  with  special 
rapidity  the  kingdom  that  cometh  not  with 
observation;  and  it  is  the  men  and  women  of 
to-morrow  whom  religious  teaching  can  affect. 

To  the  men  and  women  of  to-day,  who  toil  in 
the  midst  of  the  stream,  the  message  is  courage, 
keep  hold,  pull.     Instruction  is  of  little  use  to 


246  The  Unexplored  Self 

them.  They  can  see  better,  or  think  they  can  see 
better  than  others,  where  the  eddies  and  boulders 
are. 

For  them  sympathy  and  courage  are  in  place, 
but  they  must  fight  their  battles  on  grounds 
already  chosen.  They  have  already  learned  that 
advice  from  others  is  of  small  avail.  The  learning 
comes  to  every  one  as  a  bitter  surprise.  A  new 
birth  which  effects  a  change  in  the  subconscious 
self  becomes  rapidly  more  difficult  as  the  years 
go  on. 


In  contrast  with  the  disheartening  fixity  of 
maturity,  however,  there  stand  the  plastic  days 
of  youth  with  their  hopes  and  ambitions.  The 
youth  is  the  one  who  can  be  helped  by  religious 
instruction;  while  it  is  the  adults  who  constitute 
the  bulk  of  our  sermon  hearers. 

Only  childhood,  as  we  are  told  again  and  again, 
can  enter  the  kingdom,  and  it  is  for  the  teachers, 
therefore,  to  be  conversant  with  the  transforming 
ideals  of  life.  Forgotten  in  the  later  rush  of  busy 
life  these  ideals  will  nevertheless  exert  their 
beneficent  influence  and  color  all  the  years. 

Fortunate  is  the  man  whose  earlier  days  have 
been  spent  in  companionship  with  those  who 
have  felt  the  call  of  a  larger  destiny,  who  have 
grasped  some  phrase  equivalent  to  the  Kingdom 
of  God. 


Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow    247 

Boys  and  young  men  are  anxious  to  amass 
wealth  and  to  establish  themselves  financially. 
They  say:  After  I  become  rich  I  will  have 
leisure  to  attend  to  philanthropy  and  kindliness 
and  to  the  eternal  and  more  beautiful  aspects  of 
life.  Then  when  they  have  laid  up  for  them- 
selves much  goods  they  find  themselves  no  longer 
masters  of  their  interests. 

They  are  powerless  to  take  delight  in  that  which 
they  had  looked  forward  to.  They  can  see  the 
promised  land  from  afar  and  hope  for  it  for  their 
children  but  for  them  entrance  is  forbidden. 

The  young  man  is  amazed  that  certain  abuses 
continue  because  persons  who  are  in  places  of 
influence  are  so  inactive,  but  if  he  as  a  man  of 
to-morrow  waits  until  to-morrow  before  trying  to 
make  things  better,  he  will  find  that  as  a  man 
of  to-day  his  will  is  impotent  against  his  fixed 
character. 

We  would  long  ago  have  reached  the  Golden 
Age,  but  that  the  youth  is  so  heedless  and  the 
adult  so  fixed. 

The  red  iron  which  could  easily  be  worked  into 
nobler  shapes  is  too  hot  for  handling.  The  iron 
once  become  cool  changes  its  shape  with  difficulty 
and  then  under  the  hardest  blows  of  the  hammer. 


8 


In    spite    of    much    intelligent    criticism    the 
opinion  still  prevails  that  the  moral  consciousness 


248  The  Unexplored  Self 

can  be  developed  at  a  later  period  and  that  the 
will  can  at  any  time  step  in  and  take  control. 

Some  of  the  great  educators  have  realized  the 
futility  of  depending  on  the  power  of  the  individual 
will  for  moral  betterment.  Few,  however,  have 
realized  that  what  opposes  the  will  is  not  the  habit 
of  inertia  and  custom.  There  is  an  actual 
indwelling  force  more  related  to  the  eternal  forces 
than  to  the  particular  personality. 

Our  subject  contains  a  cry  of  warning  which 
preachers  have  hesitated  to  take  up  because  man 
seemed  to  be  degraded  if  his  will  power  were 
belittled. 

This  is  no  place  to  go  into  a  discussion  of  the 
will,  but  the  teaching  of  Christ  is  clear  and  in  line 
with  the  most  recent  investigations:  Watch  and 
pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation — Bring  us 
not  into  temptation. 

The  best  and  strongest  character  is  formed 
through  contact  with  good.  The  virtue  which 
results  from  Christian  nurture  is  not  a  surrender  of 
personality;  it  is  the  rule  of  God  in  heaven  and 
makes  a  man  kin  to  the  infinite. 

It  is  becoming  more  and  more  evident  that  the 
only  preaching  which  can  effect  an  actual  change 
of  character  must  be  to  the  men  and  women  of 
to-morrow,  and  therefore  the  teachers  and  parents 
must  be  the  principal  preachers. 

It  is  with  the  thought  of  this  last  chapter  in 
mind  that  this  book  has  been  addressed  to  teachers 


Men  and  Women  of  To-morrow    249 

and  students.  Unnecessary  misunderstandings 
seem  to  keep  the  youth  from  the  churches,  and  in 
spite  of  the  various  efforts  to  make  the  Sunday- 
schools  effective,  there  is  small  time  allowed  for 
the  presentation  of  the  Christian  ideal.  The  week- 
day school  teachers  either  do  not  understand 
their  opportunity  and  their  responsibility,  or  to  a 
large  extent  have  not  known  just  what  Christian- 
ity represents.  If  recognized  as  interested  in  the 
most  valuable  things  of  life  and  as  teaching  these 
things,  Christianity  fits  not  only  into  every 
curriculum,  but  becomes  the  basis  of  every 
pedagogy. 

Statements  like  this  last  lay  one  open  to  what, 
because  of  the  misuse  of  the  term,  has  come  to  be 
an  "accusation"  of  pragmatism.  So  far  as  con- 
necting this  volume  with  any  school  of  philosophy 
is  concerned,  the  "accusation"  is  unjustified. 
The  call  to  link  our  thinking  to  the  practical  side 
of  life  is  not  peculiar  to  any  period  or  to  any  school. 
The  great  development  of  the  last  few  centuries  in 
systematizing  the  relational  factors  of  experience 
has  brought  with  it  a  wide-spread  effort  to  syste- 
matize the  affective  factors.  Now  that,  "  I  think, 
therefore  thinking  is  real,"  is  an  accepted  axiom, 
we  are  ready  to  add  the  axiom,  "I  feel  values, 
therefore  values  are  real."  From  one  point  of 
view  Christianity  is  an  exposition,  as  was  sug- 
gested in  Chapter  XIII,  of  this  latter  axiom. 


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